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55



Demonwrath

natural forces pervading both Russia and China. He runs the
monastery, having full say in its day to day functions, the train-
ing students receive, all rules and guidelines set down, and any
relations to outsiders. Master Shin also has trained a handful of
students to be his personal assistants and special agents. These
few are either with Master Shin or out on assignments and do not
generally associate with the general populace of the monastery.

HIF If the player characters are all students of the monastery, then
Master Shin gives the group a series of missions to complete as
An Adventure for Rifts® proof that they have reached the appropriate level of training to
become full-fledged members of the monastery. The first task
By Matthew Burns appointed to them is to eliminate a Mindolar (see Rifts®

This adventure is designed for low level and beginning char- Conversion Book) who has amassed a network of spies and
acters, with Monks and Demon Quellers especially in mind. It assassins on the border of Russia and China. The Mindolar, Flill,
presents an excellent means to introduce Chinese, Japanese, or is hiding out in a small D-Bee village four miles (6.4 km) south
Russian characters. It is suggested that the players all be either of the mountain range. He has taken control of the leader of the
members of the monastery or outsiders. A mixed group is defi- village, a Dwarf named Krendo, as well as about half of the vil-
nitely playable, but the adventure tends to get a little rough lage itself. A second level human Shifter, Vir Commanc, foolish-
around the edges. ly summoned the Mindolar two weeks ago and fell under its
influence mere seconds after the spell was complete. Flill is using
The Setting his mind-controlled "subjects" as expendable spies and assassins.
He hopes to build up a small reputation for himself and then seize
On the Russian/Chinese border, a small, secluded mountain control of a warlord or two.
squats in the crisp, winter air. On the snowy peak, a red-stoned
monastery sits in silence as if awaiting enlightenment. Few out- If the players are partially or all outsiders, then the adventure
siders have ever set eyes upon the enormous monastery, and only begins somewhat differently. The player characters, while travel-
a handful of them have entered its walls. The ground is covered ing through the area (for whatever reason, I leave it up to the
in a fine frost, crunching under foot. A light snow sprinkles the G.M.) stumbles across a lone human under attack from three Oni
roof of the monastery. Its walls are intricately carved in reverence (see Rifts® Japan) and in obvious need of help. After killing or
to past heroes. A biting wind whips the fur jackets of the two chasing away the Oni, the group learns that the Chinese man is
Monks standing guard before the massive pair of wooden gates. Yen Quan, a student of a monastery at the top of a mountain,
Within the walls, the air is warm and dry. Sweat glistens on the which lies about a mile (1.6 km) away. Yen, quite talkative and
skin of bare-chested Monks in loose pants tied at the waist and friendly, explains that he is in training to become a full-fledged
ankles with thin cord, training in unarmed and armed combat. member of the monastery (Consider Yen a level 1 Demon
Each student has a mentor, training and drilling him or her based Queller). He was running letters back and forth between the
on his or her individual strengths and weaknesses. In the next monastery and a band of Gypsies. Since the Gypsies travel so
room, the training continues as Demon Quellers are taught the extensively, they had important information that Master Shin
arts of fighting and magic. In another room, there is only dark- could use. Past that, Yen doesn't know what the notes say
ness. (they're in sealed envelopes) or what the information is, nor does
he want to know bad enough to break the seal. To do so would
Plot get him kicked out of the monastery, as it would be a breach of
trust.
If one (or more) of the players is a Monk or Demon Queller,
then that particular character(s) is nearing the end of his training. Grateful to the extreme, the fledgling Demon Queller invites
His final test shall be given to him by Master Shin himself. the group back to the monastery for warm food, drink, and hos-
Master Shin, an ancient but wiry human, has mastered several pitality. He is quite insistent that the group "allow me to repay my
types of martial arts and possesses the knowledge of magic. debt of gratitude." He also mentions that he believes a snowstorm
Thirteen years ago, Master Shin founded the monastery and is coming. On the way, Yen talks of his past and how the
began training Demon Quellers and Monks to combat the super- monastery found him, abandoned, and raised him to become a
slayer of demons. He talks of his training, life in the monastery,
his dedication to eliminating the evil that surrounds the
monastery, and his admiration for Master Shin (If some of the
members of the group are outsiders and some are students at the
monastery, just substitute a player character(s) for Yen).

Once at the monastery gates, the players are submitted to mys-
tical examination to ensure that they are not disguised demons.

57

The guards, after examining the newcomers and hearing Yen's have a low-powered M.D.C. weapon, such as a laser pistol. All
story, allow the group inside. The player characters immediately of Flill's "elite assassins" are out on missions. Yen will stress that
enter a large, warm room. The floor is padded and there are the group cannot harm the innocent people and must eliminate
weapons hanging on the walls, some wooden practice sets and the Mindolar. The horrible creature resides in Krendo's hut. With
some real. There doesn't appear to be any high tech weaponry in him are Krendo and Vie Commanc. The Mindolar will fight to
the room. It is lit by large, metal bowls filled with some sort of the death, as he has no fast means of escape. Upon Flill's death,
material similar to coal that gives off far less smoke. In the cen- the villagers return to normal. The Mindolar's control, and their
ter of the room stands a glass case. On a red velvet pillow, a black actions while under it, are half-forgotten memories.
sword, richly ornamented in runes, sits gloriously, as if awaiting
use. Any magic users will notice the numerous spells, wards, and When the group returns, Master Shin congratulates them on

circles of protection surrounding the glass case. If any comment their success and rewards them with a good night's sleep before
on the sword is made, Yen explains that the sword is called assigning the second test. This more dangerous test is to intercede
Demonwrath, that it is highly protected by magic, that they between a demon army and a nearby warlord, Kostov Ventrovich.
should not touch the case, and that it is lent out to only the most Kostov, knowing he couldn't compete with the more powerful
trusted and experienced of Master Shin's students on important and far better equipped warlords elsewhere in Russia, came to the
missions. Demonwrath can only be wielded by men of good Russian/Chinese border to try establishing a foothold. The war-
hearts and pure souls. The room is otherwise filled with students, lord has agreed to leave the monastery alone, since it does not
training hard under a mentor's watchful eye. The impression one aspire to any political power. In fact, for this service, he has
gets from the students is one of near flawlessness. Yen leads the agreed to protect the monastery against outside assault. The
group past the trainees and to a door at the back of the room. The demon army outnumbers the warlord's army by thirty-to-one and
small door opens into a hallway, leading left and right. Yen tells is preparing to crush the smaller force in ten days. Master Shin
the group that the door at the far left end of the corridor leads to has learned that the leader of the demon army is a Koshei, a
Master Shin's private rooms. To the right are the training areas Deathless One (see Rifts® Mystic Russia™). One of his "spe-
for Demon Quellers. A door directly before him leads to the area cial agents" acquired some useful information from a spiteful
where students relax, eat, and enjoy each other's company. Past Wind Demon the Koshei had tortured years earlier. According to
that room are the living quarters, kitchens, storage rooms, and myth, the life essences of the Deathless Ones are kept in eggs. If
armory. the egg is not destroyed, the Koshei will rise again and again
from destruction to plague the countryside. The wretched Wind
Entering the recreation area, Yen encounters his mentor, Quai Demon was only too happy to give the location of the Koshei's
Tain, who asks for his report. After a brief discussion, the stern precious egg. If the Koshei's egg is destroyed, then he dies for-
instructor thanks the group for "assisting my inexperienced, and ever. Once the Koshei is gone, the demon army will disband and
somewhat foolish pupil." Quai Tain takes the letter from Yen and go back to its petty squabbling.
leaves to talk with Master Shin. Yen gives the group food while
they wait. The food is a mixture of rice, meat, and vegetables The Koshei's egg is twenty miles (32 km) west of the moun-
(some of which the group has not seen before). Quai Tain returns, tains. The group has ten days to find and destroy the egg. A map
informing the group that they have Master Shin's thanks for has been provided for them (What the group meets on the way is
assisting Yen and asks them, in return, to enjoy the hospitality of up to the G.M.). Guarding the egg are several powerful foes: (For
the monastery and stay for the night. Yen provides bedrolls for all these, see Rifts® Mystic Russia™) A Demon Claw, two
any who don't have sleeping bags. Kladovik, a Serpent Hound, and an Unclean (Note: the Wind
Demon will, in no way, help the group. They should not run into
In the morning, the storm has ended and the group is sum- him.). The egg is hidden in a hollow log among the snow-covered
moned in the first training room to see Master Shin. Once there, trees. The guardians will fight to the death to protect the egg.
Master Shin gives the group his thanks in person. He is very cer-
emonious and rigid, giving each member of the group a small,
jeweled dagger as a present. He then turns to Yen and tells him it
is time to complete his training. As the first of three tests, he must
go and defeat Hill (all the aforementioned information on Flill is
given to Yen in front of the group). Yen is warned of the crea-
ture's bite and other powers. If he chooses to back down from the
mission, he may leave the monastery with his training unfinished,
an exile. Master Shin explains, "No one from the monastery may
help you," looking pointedly at the outsiders, "but if outsiders get
involved, there is nothing I could, or .would, do to prevent it.
Indeed, relating to the outside world is also part of your training.
Attaining outsiders' help is allowable as part of that training." If
the group does not volunteer, Yen will immediately turn to them
and ask their help (Note: the other two tests will not be revealed
until the first is completed).

The Mindolar (7th level) has taken control of the small vil-
lage, which only consists of about thirty D-Bees and humans.
The controlled people will do their best to defend Flill, but their
weapons are only S.D.C. axes, clubs, and hoes. One or two will

58

If the group should fail to defeat the guards and destroy the God of Flaying, when Xolotl, a good deity and not a Demon Lord

egg, Kostov's army will be crushed and the monastery will have at all, found and rescued her (see Rifts® Pantheons of the

to fight the demon army (though it will be reduced in size by 80 Megaverse™). She has since become his lover.

percent, making it a one on one fight, if the students are still alive Shin has discovered that Xolotl and Xiao Yin Mao have been

to aid in the monastery's defense). spying on him, planning some way to expose him to the

If successful, the group will be rewarded with another night's monastery as a monster. He has decided to send naive students

rest before the third task is set before them. The final trial is to (the player characters) to destroy the "Demon Lord." If they are

find and defeat a Demon Lord. He was spotted spying on the killed in the attempt, it is no great loss. The rest of the monastery

monastery and it has since been determined that he seeks to can then be stirred to action upon the deaths of their fellow stu-

destroy it. His name is Xolotl (See Rifts®: Pantheons of the dents. If Xolotl and Xiao Yin Mao manage to convince the stu-

Megaverse™). He is a powerful creature with the body of a man dents of the truth, Shin will simply accuse them of having "lost

and the head of a dog. their souls" to the "demons" and raise the monastery against

Dark Secrets them.

Master Shin is not human, though Shin is his true name. He is, Solutions

in fact, a Raksasha (see Rifts® Conversion Book). He is a When the player group finds Xolotl, he is alone on a moun-

humanoid creature with clawed hands and the head of a tiger. taintop. He will try to reason with the group before taking any

Thirty years ago, he kidnaped an old man who knew the secrets offensive action. He will try to explain the treachery of Shin. If

of training Monks and Demon Quellers. Using his psionic and the group persists in attacking, he will use his magic to restrain

magic abilities, the Raksasha forced and tricked the old man into them. At that time, Xiao Yin Mao will come out of hiding. She
teaching him those secrets. Shin then formed a monastery as a will tell her tale to the group. Xolotl will then release the group,
under the promise that they will not attempt to harm Xiao Yin
base of operations by gathering together lost children, young men Mao. He will conspicuously leave himself out of the promise as
and women willing to fight evil, and a few older, superstitious an act of faith in the group. Should they continue to attack him
humans to use as servants. The children and young men and only, he will teleport himself and Xiao Yin Mao to safety, intend-
women were trained to become Monks, Demon Quellers, spies, ing to confront Shin later (which he will do, as soon as the group
and assassins. The spies and assassins, under the guise of "spe- arrives back at the monastery). If the group attacks both Xolotl
cial agents" or "personal assistants," have been his bread and but-
ter, being hired out to warlords, villagers, governments, and even and Xiao Yin Mao, Xolotl will do his best to defend her and
other Demon Lords. His network of spies and assassins ranges destroy the group.
However, if the group should, at any point, listen to Xolotl's
throughout most of Russia and the Western half of China. The
Monks and Demon Quellers were kept ignorant of his atrocious words and believe them, he will offer his help in exposing Shin
acts by necessity. He uses them as a front to the outside world. It to the monastery and purging the evil from its walls. He will
also helps him to have a band of almost fanatically loyal fighters transport the group to the monastery's doors. Immediately, the
to protect him. The fact that they do so to "defend the good" is an group will be beset by questions from the two guards. If they are
irony he laughs at every day (Shin has been using Alter Aura not convincing enough in their answers, the guards will attack,
suspecting the group has been possessed or are demons them-
spells and psionics to hide his true nature).
Shin's loyal followers serve yet another means, to eliminate selves.
Once inside the monastery, how does the group proceed? Do
any competition. He uses his network of spies and assassins to
locate a target's weak spot. He then either has the assassins or they have Xolotl try to remove Shin's disguise? If successful, this
Monks and Demon Quellers remove his rival (Such was the case will cause a split in the monastery, with one third of the members
with Flill, the Mindolar). Only a handful of beings in existence believing the transformation to be real and the other two thirds
know of his setup. One or two Demon Lords, who he habitually believing it to be a demon's trick. Naturally, all of Shin's spies
hires out to, have the distinct pleasure of sharing his laughter over and assassins will side with him, and a type of civil war will
roast human on a stick. Any members of the monastery who dis- ensue. Shin's greater forces will push the smaller force out of the
cover his secret are either quietly dealt with or are branded as monastery, forcing them to flee or be destroyed (this larger group
having "lost their souls to the darkness." In the latter case, the has access to the armory, which contains more powerful
poor wretches are exiled from the monastery, never allowed to weapons, including modern energy pistols and rifles). Xolotl can
return. Any members found talking to them will be punished with produce an escape route via a Rift. The members of the
exile as well (Only five members of the monastery have ever dis- monastery who denounced Shin will attempt to form their own
covered Shin's true identity in thirteen years. All but one are monastery, dedicated to stopping all of Shin's plans and enlight-
dead.). The exiled person is usually attacked and killed after they ening the members whom he managed to fool. Shin's monastery,
have traveled a few miles from the monastery. Often, it is Shin, however, will look upon them as "lost souls" and continually try
himself, who chases down and slays his former pupil. He finds to wipe them out (and this can lead to numerous adventures).
Another option open to the group is to suggest a contest
killing the people that he trained to fight beings such as himself
another of life's great ironies. Only one woman, an eighth level between Shin and Xolotl. Shin knows that Xolotl would ulti-
Monk named Xiao Yin Mao, managed to escape Shin after learn- mately defeat him, so he will refuse. If the group pushes for the
ing of his identity, by leaping through a Rift. Unfortunately, she contest, Shin will claim they are trying to assassinate him and
was stranded in South Africa and captured by locals. They had declare them "lost souls." He will order the Monks and Demon
her bound and gagged, ready to be sacrificed to Xipe Totec, the Quellers to attack. The group can either try to fight it out at this
point, or they can flee and come up with another plan.

59

On the other hand, if the group tries to use the rune sword, Xolotl, and most of all to Xiao Yin Mao. They will ban all mem-
Demonwrath, as a test of guilt and innocence, Shin will refuse to bers of Shin's "personal assistants" who had full knowledge of
let them touch it. He will claim they are trying to steal the sword his actions (That is to say, those who knew they weren't helping
and hide it from the "forces of good" (Note: the spirit trapped the side of light. Most of his assistants are banned.). The
inside of Demonwrath has no knowledge of Shin's true identity monastery will ask Xolotl for leadership and guidance. He offers
or his plans.). If the group then tells Shin to pick up the sword, he a compromise. He will leave Xiao Yin Mao in charge and visit
will try to refuse. Xolotl will press the issue at this point if the the monastery often to see her and check up on matters. At this
group does not. Xiao Yin Mao will also lend her voice. Again, point, Xolotl will ask the group if they would care to help him in
Shin will refuse, but this time the Monks and Demon Quellers another matter. He will explain that he is gathering allies to help
will begin to ask him why. As he stumbles for an answer, the his brother Quetzalcoatl (see Rifts® Pantheons of the
entire monastery will demand the test. Under the pressure, Shin Megaverse™) defeat the evil Aztec gods. Whether the group
will begin to lose his cool, becoming belligerent and slipping out accepts or not, there are plenty of ways to have endless adven-
of his "good guy" routine. In a fury, Shin will grab Demonwrath,
burning his hands, and change into his true shape. He will tele- tures. The group can join Xolotl, stay with the monastery, or
port away with the sword, planning to start over somewhere else. strike off on their own. Any which way they go, there will come
The members of the monastery will apologize to the group, a day of reckoning with Shin.

The New Kingdom

Optional Material for Rifts® more afraid. As the last of its guards were destroyed, the intelli-
gence made preparations for dire action. Minutes later, the
By Jason Richards and Nathan Taylor human butchers entered the intelligence's chamber, only briefly
stunned by its monstrous appearance before charging in with
The large mass of eyes and tentacles felt another sting, as spears and loosing flights of wood and silver arrows, then charg-
more of its dark children fell to the blades and stakes of the ing forth with waterskins full of holy water. As the second wave
armored soldiers encroaching on its land. One by one the demons began its attack the humans saw the creature vanish in a great
fell, each time taking a little bit of the master intelligence with blue flash and hot wind that swept the cave, knocking the soldiers
them. The ancient monster sensed that morning was approaching to the ground and blinding their eyes.
and knew that most of its human protectors had been slain or
lured away by the attacking army. Normally confident, the intel- What vampires remained alive either burned up into ashes or
ligence shifted nervously as it surveyed its options. The Master fell unconscious where they stood, lost in a deep trance. After the
Vampire was among the first to be slain, murdered by a treacher- preliminary moments of screams and fire, all was silent. Cheers
ous human slave, and now its familiar was dying, bombarded by erupted from the men as they held high their lances and shouted
wooden spears, its body laced with wounds from silver blades. At out cries of victory. They had saved their land from this demonic
that moment the intelligence screamed an unearthly bellow as its threat, never to have him return...
demonic familiar perished, surging pain and agony through its
creator, and weakening its hold to Earth. The demonic mass, now safe in another dimension, could only
think of his demonic hordes, now all but destroyed, and how they
Shortly after, the doors to the temple were hurled open and had disappointed him. "There must be another way," thought the
soldiers flooded the grounds, destroying dark minions in their monster. Then his thoughts turned to the invaders and how they
militant wake, progressing rank by rank toward the lower cav- had conquered his hordes. He had watched through the eyes of
erns where the intelligence laid in wait, now very weak and even his familiar as the human army came at it in waves, constantly
attacking and never ceasing. They laid traps, used tactics, and
demonstrated superior skill in their conquests of the intelli-
gence's stupid and unorganized minions. All through time the
story had been the same. Earth was an unconquered realm,
despite hundreds of attempts by himself and other vampire intel-
ligences.

At this point the displaced intelligence told himself that he
would never again be so out thought or disorganized. It was time
for a new strategy, and he began to formulate his plan for when
he would return...

60

The Vampire Kingdom most trusted Secondary Vampire officers and assisted by 10 to 40
vampire and mind slave soldiers (75% of these vampires will be
of Xavier Stuart Secondary). Human population of these towns averages 1000
each.
Population:
Total Kingdom Population: 1500 vampires of varying types Fort Tombstone

and 18,000 other humanoid residents. Heart of the Vampire Endeavor
Fort Tombstone: 1 Master Vampire, 750 Secondary Vampires,
Near the bones of the legendary pre-Rifts city of Tombstone
and 150 Wild Vampires inhabit the town and the silver mine has emerged the base of operations for the Master Vampire,
beneath it. Most Wild Vampires are sent out to wreak havoc in the Xavier Stuart. Settled safely in the southeast corner of Arizona,
wild. The vampires also employ 500 human slaves who live in the small town is built around an ancient silver mine which Stuart
the town, and 400 feeding stock. The humans used as feeding has converted into his lair. Mostly humanoids, both loyal human
stock are either in the blood pools deep within the bowels of the and D-Bee protectors, and those enslaved by the demons of the
mine or allowed to practice some trade that's useful to the vam- night, inhabit the town on the surface. During the night hours, as
pires (armorer, blacksmith, miner) while breeding, creating more many as twenty vampires patrol the streets, keeping watch over
human slaves. their town. The vampires control every aspect of the town, from
farming to law enforcement, and do so without the knowledge of
Surrounding 50 mile (80 km) radius: 11 humanoid villages the few outsiders who stumble across it.
and towns are under the control of Xavier Stuart, each having 6
to 10 Secondary Vampires overseeing whatever task the town is Deep within the mine, the Master Vampire and roughly 900
designated to do. There are roughly 9500 humanoids within these other vampires sleep the daylight away in hidden chambers
villages and towns. among the complex network of stone tunnels full of twists, turns,
dead ends and countless dangers. Among the perils are dens of
Other vampire-controlled areas: Vampires have seized control
of several other towns to the north in Arizona and New Mexico.
Currently there are five such towns, each run by one of Stuart's

61

monsters, deep chasms, and even an underground river with rag- car several yards behind him. "Yes, Sir," echoed through the
ing rapids. radio headset. "Fire in the hole." The man flipped a switch on
the box at his side and then pulled up his own binoculars to
One of the true terrors of the stronghold is the blood pool. Just watch.
in the underground compound alone there are always between 50
and 100 human captives being used as feeding stock, attached to The vampires stood, holding their ground in close combat with
intravenous needles which drain the victims of their blood just to the hunters. The fighting was fierce and intense on both sides
the very brink of death. This blood is collected and bagged, then until the whole group was suddenly engulfed inflame and debris.
issued as rations. The humans are rarely conscious, and die with- The explosives buried under the ground on which they all tread
in a few months of this treatment.
started to go off in successive rows. The humans all buckled as
Stuart's throne room is the gem of the fortress. All along the debris entered their bodies and explosions crippled their legs.
walls are piled booty of every kind, from precious metals and The vampires, impervious to the crippling explosions, were mere-
gems to modern armor and weaponry. A large, stone formation ly stunned, and quickly regained theirfooting to tackle those who
has been carved into a throne in the highest part of the large cav- tried to escape. Those few who limped away from the minefield
ern. It sits on a plateau that overlooks the huge chamber where were met by demonic reinforcements who had been magically
his men gather before their nightly routines. It is from here that concealed on the flanks.
he speaks to and encourages his men, or distributes punishment
to those who fail him. This punishment ranges from staking for a In a minute's time all was still on the battlefield save the vam-
period of time, demotion in rank, or in the worst cases, the starv- pires feeding on their kills and gathering their weapons, equip-
ing and then exile of a vampire. Stuart never kills his own min- ment, and armor. The Secondary Vampire on the hill hung the
ions, an act he views as barbarism. binoculars around his neck and walked back to his car. As he and
his driver sped offtoward the lair a smile came over each undead
Stuart's coffin is located in a room a good distance away from soldier 'sface. They looked at each other knowing that they would
his throne room, in a secluded spot which is guarded by vampires be well received by their mutual master.
at night (Xavier often studies or plans in his room at night) and
human mind slaves during the day. The vampires (2 to 4) are There is no way to describe the methods of the legions of the
Secondary Vampires with the Warrior M.O.S. and the human Kintaranta intelligence other than to say that it is a bold experi-
ment that seems to be working. A new strategy by an old intelli-
mind slaves (4 to 6) are 3rc* to 6tn level CS soldiers, usually gence led it to find a military leader that knew his enemy, and
Military Specialists, Special Forces, or well-trained grunts. All make him willing to fight for the cause of evil. The answer was
are suicide soldiers who use a great deal of explosives, including Xavier Stuart.
a large fusion block built into their armor that they activate when
they are incapacitated or near death. Xavier is quite safe in his
coffin, which is actually a large compartment inside the walls of
his room, accessible only through his bat or mist form; any other
form is too large. Provided the entrance is found, it would take 50
M.D. to break down the reinforced stone wall.

The underground network of ancient caves is so twisted and
turns over so many times that without a map, proper lighting, or
some point of orientation one can become almost hopelessly lost
within. Just being in the caves without intimate knowledge of
them makes a character -10% on his Land Navigation skill, even
with a map and in favorable conditions. Without a map adds
another -10%, darkness another -15%, and after each failed Land
Navigation roll the character becomes more and more lost, a -5%

for each failed roll. Maximum penalty is -50%. The tunnels are
so vast that there are some portions still unexplored by the vam-
pires, who tend to stick to the beaten path.

The Vampire Army

The small group of vampire hunters pushed on, beating back
the hapless band of Wild Vampires with their silver bullets and
homemade water balloons. As the beasts scurried this way and
that, more and more fell screaming as the speeding silver projec-
tiles shot through their bodies and a few good shots pierced the
hearts of the devils. A single body watched through his binocu-
lars from a hilltop several miles away as the vampires were
pushed over the crest of a large hill, ran halfway down its slope,
and then turned to rush their pursuers. The overly confident men
rushed to meet them point blank andfinish them off.

The observer on the hill lowered his binoculars, stared
straight into the night sky and motioned to the man in the officer's

62

With the vampire general leading the way, this new vampire mercenaries throughout the southwest. Small towns counted on
kingdom is becoming more and more a threat. Xavier's ambitions the troops' monthly AWOL trips to sell them the latest merchan-
know no bounds. He is on a time line which is well thought out dise and upgrades. Unfortunately for the towns, the vampires
and derived from intimate knowledge of the region and his ene- count on those shipments, too.
mies. He has laid out a simple plan for the rise of his kingdom.
The vampire strategy is to enslave a town along these routes
Ambitions for the Kingdom and leech whatever military supplies they can from the commu-
nity, while buying from the convoys. When the supply starts to
The kingdom has three steps to achieving one goal: the domi- decrease or prices start to rise the vampires ambush the convoy,
nation of North America. take the equipment, and turn all of the soldiers or smugglers into
demons like themselves. This very efficient method adds to sup-
A. The first step was originally unaccounted for: Destroy the ply and personnel of the vampire military. The missing CS sol-
Arzno Mercenary Corps and their leader, Onra. This vampire diers (not that great a number) are being listed as MIA or AWOL,
hunting group, who Xavier fist viewed as an annoyance, is but investigations are underway.
becoming a real problem for the Master Vampire and his intelli-
gence. Once these supplies are taken, they are issued to vampire sol-
diers, though many of them have no experience at all with mod-
B. The second step is to conquer the CS state of Lone Star. As ern weapons and don't even care to use them, preferring their
ridiculous as it may sound, it's not as impossible as one might own teeth and claws. Nevertheless, such soldiers are useful to the
first think. With heavy troop commitment in the North against army. The greatest strength of the vampire is still toughness and
Quebec, Tolkeen, the Magic Zone, and then the Xiticix, the South superior numbers. There is something to be said for the combat
is relatively unprotected and without a doubt under-protected. effectiveness of an enraged vampire tearing an enemy limb from
Another advantage held by Xavier is that the CS doesn't wish to limb.
acknowledge the possibility of the Vampire Kingdoms and has no
means to fight them. The bandits in the Pecos Empire would not The current vampire kingdom population is roughly 1500 and
enter into a war of survival, but would simply move further north, growing steadily. This doesn't count the slaves and other humans
throwing out more problems for a CS military stretched thin used only as feeding stock. The vampire population has been
northward. If Xavier can establish himself quickly, there may be intentionally stifled until recently since Xavier was trying not to
nothing the Coalition can do about it, at least not in Lone Star. be noticed. Now, about 50 to 70 vampires are being created each
month, which is just slightly more than the Arzno Mercenary
C. Lastly, the rest of the Vampire Kingdoms must be brought Corps can destroy. Xavier could make his numbers skyrocket if
under the leadership of Xavier and his intelligence. With a little he turned his minions loose on the human civilizations in Arizona
luck, this won't require a massive military effort, only propagan- and New Mexico, but he still feels that it's best to lay low. For the
da and reputation. This would solidify the vampire presence in time being, Xavier is content to stay just slightly ahead of the
Lone Star, making the demons much harder to exterminate. curve.
Preparations are underway for Xavier to absorb the Bisbee tribe
very soon, adding many to Xavier's numbers. If Xavier can get Three small towns in Arizona and two in New Mexico have
control of Lone Star, other vampires and their kingdoms will been taken over by the militant vampires and are used as trading
flock to his banner and leadership. posts and strategic locations for the rest of the army. Typically
each town has roughly 40 to 60 vampires with 1 leader and 3 to
With these things completed, North America is there for the 5 warriors. These are all vampires loyal to Xavier and a part of
taking. The scariest thing is that it has the possibility of working. his plan, but not a part of the general army.
The best chance there is for this to stop is for someone to step in
early. Once the army gets rolling it will become increasingly dif- Characters of Note
ficult to smother the flames of all-out war. That's why Onra and
his troops worry Xavier so. In a perfect world, the CS would real- Xavier Stuart — The Vampire General
ize the danger, learn from the Arzno Military Corps on how to
kill the demons and then use a combined effort to stop them Xavier lived a rather tragic childhood in the Burbs of the CS
before they start and then perhaps push southward in the exter- state of Chi-Town. He never even knew his parents and was
mination effort. Unfortunately, judging by the CS mentality and raised by his father's brother in a kind and caring home, but he
history this is unlikely. was never truly accepted into this new household. As he grew up,
he briefly turned to the streets, seeking refuge with the other
How? rejects that he found there in the gangs and street scum skulking
furtively around the less civilized areas of the Burbs. After a brief
With the new military style and strategy, a new kind of attack run-in with CS authorities, Xavier decided that if he was to ever
was necessary. Xavier's arrival came at an opportune time, due to become an officer in the military like he was told his father was,
the fact that the CS suddenly had some spare equipment "laying he would have to leave his D-Bee and reject friends and clean up
around." his act. The following year he turned old enough to enlist. This
he did, and he loved the military life more than anything. He was
Shortly after Xavier's arrival in Arizona the Campaign of a whole-hearted soldier, eager to pursue his father's footsteps.
Unity was put into full operation. With it came the removal of the
vast majority of the old-style weapons and armor from the CS Xavier was the fastest learner in his classes, a real grade A stu-
military. Most of that hardware was intended for the ISS or other dent. He applied for officer school, confident his abilities and
uses by the military and civilian sectors within the states.
However, not all of it made it there, and some fell prey to crooked
soldiers or smugglers looking to make a few credits. The armor
and weapons became the staple of local law enforcement and

63

reputation gave him the best resume around. When his CO called
him into his office the following week, Xavier whistled the whole
way there, knowing that his destiny for leadership would be ful-
filled. A very stern Colonel awaited him with good and bad news.

"Son," he said, "the good news is that you seem to be fully
qualified and ready for your officer training. Congratulations. I
cut my teeth under the command of your father and I'm proud to
be the one who gives you this shot." His face grew serious once
again. "The bad news is that you seem to have some security
problems. You have a record of fraternizing with D-Bees. That is
unacceptable."

Xavier stood at attention and spoke clearly. "Sir, I was just a
kid back then, Sir. I know the truth about them now. I'll do any-
thing to prove I am not a risk, Colonel."

The Colonel smiled. "Good, because that's just what I had in
mind. Let's take a walk." The two walked through the compound
to the prison section. There the Colonel stopped, un-holstered his
sidearm and handed it to Xavier. "In cell 3 is a D-Bee prisoner I
want you to execute. Do it, then pack your bags for school."

Xavier took the large revolver in his hand and walked to cell
3. The guard let him pass with no question and closed the door
behind him. Xavier looked up into the eyes of a Quick-Flex alien.
Only this wasn't just another D-Bee, it was Minhos, one of the
guys Xavier had run with in his gang days. Minhos smiled, got
up from his cot and walked toward his old friend. Xavier just
stared back, lifted the weapon and pulled the trigger. He left,
packed his bags, and came back 18 months later as a Military
Specialist.

Though Xavier excelled in all of his classes and was one of the
most brilliant tacticians anyone had seen in many years, it
seemed that his sacrifice of his friend was enough to get him a
commission, but that was about it. It took him 20 years to make
Captain and that was the end of the line. He spent 5 years as a
Captain before anything significant happened at all.

It happened in September of 105 P.A. Word began to leak
through the ranks about the Campaign of Unity. Officers from
every walk of the military were being transferred into more com-
bat-oriented positions in the last-minute efforts to prepare for

war. Excited that he may at least have a chance to train those who
would actually engage in the combat, he asked his superiors for
a transfer into infantry training. He was transferred, but not into
training. He spent the last year of his career in an acquisitions
office in Lone Star. Because of his security restrictions, he was
rarely allowed anywhere but his office and barracks for fear that
his contact with the Dog Boys would cause security problems.
This, in the mind of Xavier, was yet another cruel joke.

Xavier now views his transfer in a positive light. He retired at
the age of 45 and stayed in Lone Star trying to make a living by
hiring himself out as a security guard. He was at the brink of star-
vation and all but homeless when his second chance arrived. A
dream told him to travel south so that he could see what he was
capable of. After arriving at a spot that seemed proper, he met
three strange men walking down the road, miles from anywhere.
The three said they were sent by another and had a secret to tell
him. It was only then that they bared their fangs and revealed
their strange nature — as vampires.

After learning all about his choice, he agreed to help the
Kintaranta intelligence by becoming a Master Vampire and lead-
ing the eventual assault on humanity. Now, not only is he an offi-
cer, he is a general of the most ruthless army in the world.

64

Real Name: Xavier Stuart Minions of Xavier Stuart
Alignment: Diabolic
Hit Points: 170 Xavier's army is still largely untrained and only roughly
S.D.C.: N/A organized, but is growing rapidly and getting stronger, largely
P.P.E.: 60 due to the fact that he has surrounded himself with men of supe-
I.S.P.: 160 rior skill and magnificent abilities. Xavier has taken on the serv-
Attributes: I.Q. 24, M.E. 24, M.A. 28, PS. 34, P.P. 24, PE. 22, ices of several unique characters through a variety of means.
PB. 25, Spd. 30
One such example is Cana the Blind, a disturbed Grey Seer
Experience: 5l" level Master Vampire; was an 8l" level CS and advisor to Xavier. Cana's clairvoyance and general insight
Military Specialist. allow Xavier to know the possible futures of his actions. The
Grey Seer's attitude of self-defeat allows him to be kept a pris-
Weight: 1801bs(81 kg) oner without direct mind control.
Height: 6 feet (1.8m)
Sex: Male Cana the Blind
Age: 46
Disposition: A keen strategist and cool character with what Grey Seer advisor to the
Master Vampire, Xavier Stuart
appears to be a surprising amount of honor. For example, he
frequently meets with his enemies before he strikes, to discuss "What did you gather from him?"
initial terms of their surrender to avoid "unnecessary vio- "I read our deaths in his eyes."
lence." In truth, this is not a sense of honor, but audacity. "I didn't even need your eyes to see that, Slave."
However, while he is extremely confident, he does not have a —Xavier Stuart and Cana the Blind, discussing the Mage,
"god complex" and is smart enough to accurately size up his Onra
opponents.
Natural Abilities: Has all the abilities of a Master Vampire. Even as a youth, this mage knew he had a gift. He often had
Magic: See Natural Abilities. feelings that he knew the outcome of some event long before it
Psionics: Death Trance, Alter Aura, Empathy, Mind Block, would occur. He always had a way with people and could help
Hypnotic Suggestion, Presence Sense, Sense Evil, Deaden them solve their problems, but he quickly found that it was
Pain, Induce Sleep, Super Hypnotic Suggestion. Considered a almost a curse. He didn't like seeing the dark possibilities that lay
master psionic and only requires a ten or higher to save vs in store for himself or people he knew. This led to the promising
psionics. Mystic's downtrodden attitude and cynical personality.
Bionics/Cybernetics: None
Combat: Hand to Hand: Assassin: 6 attacks per melee. +3 to ini- Cana enrolled in a small monastery in Colorado to allow him-
tiative, +10 to parry and dodge, +7 to strike, +23 to damage on self to more fully develop his talents, though he wasn't enthusi-
a pulled punch and +10 to pull/roll with punch, fall or impact. astic about it. He merely saw it as the only real choice he had. It
Bonuses: +5 vs psionics, +4 vs magic, +10 vs Horror Factor, was at this place of peace and learning that his fellow monks
impervious to psionic mind control or mind control drugs, as named him Cana "the Blind" due to his constantly dark outlook
well as magic or chemical sedation. Impervious to poisons and on life and the future. He stayed at the monastery for seven years
toxins. until he was asked to leave (another unavoidable unpleasantry in
the eyes of the Seer). Still, his powers potent, he packed up his
Vulnerabilities/Penalties: Vulnerable to wood, silver, water, few small belongings and headed south into the wilderness. It
sunlight, etc. the same as all vampires. was here that he learned of the new vampire threat. Naturally (in
his opinion), Cana found out in an unpleasant manner.
Skills of Note: Language: American and Spanish 98%, Literacy:
American 90%, Intelligence 84%, Pilot: Hovercraft 98%, Cana had found lodging in a small farmhouse near the Rio
Detect Ambush 90%, Detect Concealment 85%, Interrogation Grande in what was once New Mexico. He was offering aide to
Techniques 90%, Camouflage 95%, Military Etiquette 98%, the farmers there by predicting the best places to plant crops for
Fortification 95%, Trap Construction 77%, Trap and Mine the season and other information that he really didn't know, but
Detection 85%, W.P. Energy Pistol, W.R Energy Rifle, W.P. could pass off as a genuine "prophesy" with the help of a little
Heavy Energy, W.P. Heavy, Hand to Hand: Assassin, and showmanship. One night the town was raided by Stuart's vampire
Boxing. horde and the citizens were taken as livestock. Cana didn't resist
and simply submitted himself to his new masters. When Xavier
Allies of Note: Vampires, especially his minions, and his Grey (still new to the vampire experience) found out that a human had
Seer, Cana the Blind. not resisted and seemingly had no fear, he insisted that a meeting
take place.
Enemies: The Coalition States and all vampire hunters, especial-
ly the Arzno Mercenary Corps and their leader, Onra. Xavier learned of Cana's skills and put them to the test. When
the Grey Seer was able to discern a great deal about Xavier and
Weapons & Equipment of Note: Owns and wears a suit of light even his past life simply by looking at him, Xavier told his new
"Dead Boy" armor. All of his vampire officers also wear "slave" that he was to stay by his side and prophesy for him. Ever
"Dead Boy" armor. Has a trove of armor and weapons. the pacifist, Cana agreed and chalked it up as yet another misfor-
tune associated with his "gifts" as others called them.
Money: Roughly 3 million in credits, gems, and valuables. Real Name: Only known as Cana.
Another 20 to 25 million in armor and weapons, mostly stolen Aliases: Cana the Blind, Seer, and by Xavier: Slave.
CS supplies. His treasure trove is deep within his sanctum and Alignment: Miscreant
quite safe.

65

Hit Points: 43 Magic: Oracle, Sustain, Life Source, Magic Shield, Armor of
Ithan, Tongues, Globe of Daylight, Manipulate Objects, Aura
S.D.C.: 39 of Death, Death Curse (reserved especially for Xavier if he
P.P.E.: 98 should ever try and kill him), Instill Knowledge, Mend the
I.S.P.: 71 Broken, Mental Blast, Horror, House of Glass, Deflect,
Weight of Duty, Wave of Frost, Light Healing, Cloak of
Attributes: I.Q. 24, M.E. 17, M.A. 10, P.S. 8, P.P. 9, P.E. 10, P.B. Darkness, Mental Shock, Realm of Chaos, Reflection, and
8, Spd. 12 Light Target. Spell Strength is 14.
Experience: 9th level Grey Seer.
Weight: 140 Ibs (63 kg). Psionics: Sixth Sense, Mind Block, Clairvoyance, and Empathy.
Height: 5 feet 8 inches (1.7 m). Considered a major psionic and requires a 12 to save.
Sex: Male
Age: 39 Bionics/Cybernetics: None. Will not get them except for med-
Disposition: Cana is a pessimist and pacifist, constantly accept- ical reasons and then will try to get bio-systems.

ing every terrible event in his life as him fulfilling his unshak- Combat: 2 attacks per melee, +3 to initiative, +2 to parry, +3 to
able destiny. He's incredibly intelligent and this, combined dodge, +4 to disarm, +2 to entangle, +1 to roll with punch,
with his paranormal powers, makes his predictions absolutely fall, or impact, +3 to pull punch. Automatic dodge (use all
uncanny. He is a large part of Xavier's strategy building, dodge bonuses).
though he does it from the sidelines with no credit given or
asked for. He doesn't like Xavier, in fact he hates him. Even Bonuses: +3 vs psionics, +4 vs Horror Factor, +2 vs possession,
so, his nature will not allow him to confront his master open- +3 vs magic, +10% I.Q. bonus (already added).
ly. He is frail beyond his years and aging very rapidly. These
are the results of a lifetime of complacence. Vulnerabilities/Penalties: None, other than a defeatist attitude
Natural Abilities: Naturally psionic and magically inclined. In and a feeling of supremacy in his abilities.
addition to psionics and spell magic, the Grey Seer has the fol-
lowing abilities: Sense Supernatural Evil (390 feet/118.9 m), Insanity: Overconfidence in his own abilities. Cana will never
Open to the Supernatural (same as Mystic), Sense Death and doubt that the conclusions he draws will come true. This is not
Life (20 feet/6.1 m, line of sight, or 275 feet/83.8 m to sense without reason, as it has been some time since he was wrong.
creatures of extreme good or associated with death), and See
Future Possibilities. Skills of Note: Speaks Spanish, Dragonese, and American all at
98%. Literate in American at 98%. Math skills at 98%. Lore:
Demon and Monsters and Magic, both at 90%. Normally only
uses his magical abilities and lets Xavier do the rest.

Allies of Note: None. Cana basically hates everybody. He asso-
ciates with Xavier and his minions, but by no stretch of the
definition is he an "ally."

Enemies: Most notably Arzno and all of its citizens, especially
Onra, who he believes is destined to kill him.

Weapons & Equipment of Note: None.
Money: None. He is property of Xavier and therefore has no pos-

sessions.
Other key minions are mainly the twenty or so officers in
Xavier's army, all Secondary Vampires trained by a new method
of leadership instituted by Xavier. All of them former CS troops,
most officers, they have been taught to "remember" the skills that
their transformations took partially from them. Most notable
among them is Nathaniel Dengrada, who is head of these
Secondary Leaders and was a retired CS Colonel before he was
turned. It was he who gave Xavier his shot at officer school
(Diabolic alignment; I.Q. 14, M.A. 19, P.S. 25, P.P. 21). Dengrada

is the most experienced of Xavier's M.O.S. experiments (7tn
level vampire, Leader caste) and is his chief military advisor. He
is viewed as the Master's right hand and anything he says goes
without question. He is unshakably loyal to Xavier and would kill
anyone who would interfere with his plans and dreams of domi-
nation.

Many of the officers in Xavier's army are former associates or
just those known to Xavier by reputation. Most were either on
early retirement or obscure duty when they were turned, and
extreme measures were taken to ensure that nobody would come
looking for them, including written letters of resignation and
forged death certificates from phony hospitals.

Xavier is training Secondary Vampires in several fields, teach-
ing them skills to help them be more useful in one specific posi-
tion, even if less flexible in many. Leader and Warrior classes are

66

used in advancing the combat level of the army, Posers and human world. A vampire clown is a common facade, as is bar-
Thieves help network the Master through society, and Hunters tender, ringmaster, cowboy, mage (if magical abilities are pres-
carry out any number of specific tasks, from assassination to ent) or prostitute. Skills should be chosen to suit whatever cover
information gathering. is selected. Typical previous O.C.C. is Rogue Scholar, Scientist,
Line Walker, or any other non-military O.C.C.
Vampire M.O.S. System
These specially trained vampires tend to be quiet and passive,
Secondary Vampires have one thing that really sets them apart preferring to sit in a corner and watch others than engage in what-
from their less civilized brethren: Intelligence. With the emer- ever is going on. Though their skills may be finer tuned or knowl-
gence of Xavier Stuart's new vampire kingdom, the Master edge more advanced, these cunning vampires will often "play
Vampire has developed a plan to harness this previously unused dumb" or intentionally throw some contest or another, be it a
shooting contest, arm wrestling match, or old-fashioned brawl.
talent of his underlings. Through training, the Secondaries can be
taught new skills or "re-learn" skills from their past lives. Not One advantage that the vampire transformation gives is a feeling
just any vampire (or any Secondary) can learn an M.O.S., but of superiority that the vampire feels doesn't need to be backed up
those that have so far have proven very useful to Xavier. or shown off to petty mortals.
I.Q. Requirement: 13
When humans become Secondary Vampires, they lose all but Skills:
ten of their skills from their former life. At level three a
Secondary Vampire can opt to learn an M.O.S. in place of the 1 Language
additional skills that he could learn at that time. If an M.O.S. is Disguise
chosen the vampire gains the skills listed below. If one of the 3 from Literacy, Language, Lore, Basic Math, Seduction,
M.O.S. skills is the same as a skill the vampire already knows Domestic skills, or Cowboy skills.
(one of the selected ten) then the skill becomes "unfrozen" and
will continue to advance starting at the vampire's next level of Hunter
experience (4m). Note that the original O.C.C. bonus, if any, is
not regained. If the skill is new, it is gained at first level and goes Hunters specialize in tracking and capturing or killing
up as normal. If Physical skills are chosen, combat bonuses may humans. They are often used in seek and destroy missions for
be added (with the exception of hand-to-hand attacks), but not Xavier or to capture a specific individual for questioning. Usually
bonuses to attributes or S.D.C. the vampire's former O.C.C. was Wilderness Scout with the
occasional Vagabond, Bounty Hunter, or Headhunter.
Candidates for the skill training are chosen carefully. For one,
they must meet the I.Q. requirement listed with the M.O.S. Often, Hunters may gain the most pleasure out of their specialty.
M.O.S. assignments are given according to what O.C.C. the char- Since the candidates for the training were most often men of the
acter was before he was transformed. For example, a former CS wilderness and vampires are elemental in nature, the combination
Technical Officer is likely to be chosen for "Leader" rather than creates a passion for nature almost to the point of communion.
"Hunter" and a former Wilderness Scout is more likely to be They love to hunt more than any other vampire class and will do
"Hunter" than "Thief. So far, Xavier is the only Master Vampire almost anything to make it more challenging, including giving
to use this training system, but it could possibly catch on else- opponents fair warning, head starts, or ample opportunity to
where (especially if other kingdoms begin to use his militant escape. The Hunter vampires are so confident in their skills that
strategies). they feel they can never lose. Patience is the greatest virtue of this
class and a Hunter Secondary can track all night if needs be.
Another requirement is that there must be human slaves or Escaped prey will always be hunted down later, even if years
another source around to teach the vampires the skills. Therefore, later.
this is not a common practice until the kingdom is fairly estab- I.Q. Requirement: 11
lished. Skills:

Also, the M.O.S. has a cost, so not every eligible Secondary is Prowl
put through training. The M.O.S. takes the place of all of the Tracking
additional skills that the vampire would've learned (10 total). Land Navigation
This can be counter-productive since flexibility is important to a One Ancient W.P.
growing kingdom. One Modern W.P.

One question arises: What about the Master Vampires? True, Warrior
they could learn an M.O.S., but it requires time that Master
Vampires usually use elsewhere. Besides, Master Vampires are Warriors are the combat specialists of Xavier's vampire army.
normally on a high enough level before they are turned that the They work with the Leader M.O.S. to turn a raging horde of
skills they have are quite advanced. demons into a basically organized unit. They accompany Hunters
on seek and destroy missions to do most of the dirty work and
The M.O.S. categories and their descriptions are listed below. serve on the front lines of battles, leading by example and relay-
ing orders. These are the former Grunts, Headhunters, and any
Poser
type of mercenary.
Posers are trained to blend in with regular humans. This
proves useful in intelligence gathering and networking the The Warriors tend to be savage, almost to the level of Wild
Master through all levels of society. Along with the skills comes Vampires. They are often mistaken for Wild Vampires since they
a specific cover, an identity that the vampire can assume in the are jittery, impatient, and overly aggressive. They have no head
for leadership and are content to be ground-pounding infantry-
men. They hold no prejudice for their Wild Vampires and are

67

often found in their company. Warriors are merciless in combat 3 Weapon Proficiencies, Ancient, Modern, or a combination
and love to kill by slow and evil means if the opportunity offers of both.
itself. These grunts often love such weapons as large energy
rifles, machineguns or sub-machineguns, and Vibro-weaponry. Leader
I.Q. Requirement: 10
Skills: Leaders are the keys to keeping the vampire army together and
acting as a unit. They relay orders to the Warriors and even com-
Hand to Hand: Basic in addition to vampire combat skills. mand larger units on their own. Typically, Leaders are former
Take level advancement bonuses starting at first level with the military officers or high-leveled mercenaries or grunts. In
exception of the additional attacks per melee (permanently frozen Xavier's army, all are former CS officers with a few high-leveled
at 5 attacks). grunts mixed in.

1 physical skill (Boxing offers no additional attacks, see skill
notes above).

68

Leaders aren't fond of combat from the ground troop's per- Diplomatic Relations
spective, but prefer to sit on a hill and coordinate the movements
of their troops. Leaders view themselves as the highest of their of Fort Tombstone
brethren and some let their egos inflate to the point of question-
ing a Master Vampire. The Leader caste lends itself to self-serv- The Coalition States
ing egomaniacs that always feel they have a better way of doing
things. Multiple Leaders often quarrel unless being influenced or The CS has taken no notice of the town and is unaware of the
controlled by a Master Vampire. threat it brings. Their unwillingness to accept the truth about
I.Q. Requirement: 12 vampires may be their undoing. The vampire army is primarily
Skills: supplied through the illegal purchase or capture of CS weapons
and equipment and therefore often engages them when encoun-
Intelligence tered or lures them into traps.
3 from Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment, Demolitions,
Military Etiquette, Fortification, Recognize Weapon Quality, The Territory and City of Arzno
Camouflage, and Trap Construction.
1W.P. Arzno is the sworn enemy of Xavier Stuart and his army. They
always engage each other on sight, but will usually settle for a
Thief tactful retreat rather than fighting to the death. Xavier has infil-
trated the city through his unsuspecting minion, Gannon
The Thief is the vampire who works the crowds at circuses or "Moonshine" Cullen, and is waiting for the right time to use his
in the cities picking pockets, eavesdropping on conversations, secret weapon to strike.
starting civil unrest, and doing all of the dirty work that's neces-
sary for the Master to complete his objectives. This can include Other Vampire Kingdoms
framing members of the government, starting brawls between
rival gangs, and any other mischief. These typically are vampires Xavier is preparing to absorb the Bisbee vampires into his fold
with histories as Vagabonds, Thieves, and City Rats. and knows nothing of the vampires in the Colorado Baronies. If
Xavier were to learn of Ramirez and his vampires, he would ask
The members of the Thief caste are very cliquish and more him to join his cause only once before exterminating him, proba-
often than not hang out with their own kind. By level 3 as a Thief bly by exposing them to Arzno. The other vampire empires of
(6 as a vampire), these smooth operators usually have a small fan Mexico are not pressing on Xavier's mind and are neither friend
club of 2D4 other non-M.O.S. Secondary Vampires who look up nor foe for the moment.
to them in the quiet reverence that a twelve-year-old has for his
favorite sports star. Thieves tend to talk about other vampires The Rest of the Southwest
behind their backs and make all kinds of schemes or under-the-
table deals with local gangs, law enforcement, and even the occa- Xavier doesn't care about anyone or anything except that
sional vampire hunter. Thieves are incredibly clever and are fre- which will bring him closer to his goal of domination. People are
quently more useful to a Master Vampire if he doesn't keep them the enemy and his food. He is unafraid of just about anything or
on a very short leash. anyone, including the Golden Ones, Reid's Rangers, or any other
I.Q. Requirement: 11 pathetic civilization in the region.
Skills:
The Abandoned Vampire
Choose any five Rogue skills with the exception of Computer
Hacking. The Tortured Soul

The general army is currently running with 900 Secondary and Emmanuel awoke and sat straight up in his coffin, panting and
another 150 Wild Vampires. Most Wild Vampires are cast out to feeling a weight of dread and fear on his shoulders. He looked
distract the various vampire hunters of the region and cause gen- around the room frantically, thinking that perhaps his brethren
eral mayhem. Twenty-five percent of the Secondary Vampires hadfound his hiding place. A short sigh of relief escaped his lips
have some sort of training (2% Leaders, 7% Hunters, 14% at the realization that he hadn't been discovered, but the dark
Warriors, 1% Thieves, and 1% Posers). feeling stuck with him. Again he looked around the room and
found it dark. He looked at the clock on the wall to see that it was
Another ten Posers and ten Thieves have been allowed to still mid-afternoon, yet he did notfeel tired. "What has awakened
leave the army to infiltrate and influence various levels of socie- me?" thought the demon, growing ever more frantic. Again he
looked around the room for whatever could've stirred him from
ty throughout the region, each with two Secondary and two Wild his rest.
Vampires at his or her disposal. One Thief, Jose Histania (Hoe-
It was only then that he noticed the blue fog that was begin-
say His-tan-ya — 5l" level vampire, Thief caste), and his dozen ning to form around the floor. As it became thicker, a voice pen-
or so minions have infiltrated and become prominent members of etrated his brain and sent it pounding from the shear power of it.
the Bisbee vampire tribe and are preparing to aid Xavier in their "You failed me in the worst way, Emmanuel," said the voice to
takeover. his psyche. "Because ofyour incompetence I will shortly lose my
foothold on this world and all of your brethren will die. Before I
Several Posers have become known in New West towns as retreatfrom this dimension I am going to make sure that you suf-
nightclub owners, bar bums, and gunslingers.

69

/ur long to remember the plight ofyour brothers. Yourfate will be
worse than theirs. You will pray for death."

Emmanuel was totally taken aback. Never had he heard of an
intelligence speaking to a mere Secondary Vampire before. He
caught his breath and spoke back aloud, "Master, I didn 't know
they were following me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry my Master. Don't
leave us, please." Whimpering, Emmanuel curled into a fetal
position, begging for mercy. He pondered what his punishment
could be, worse than death.

Knowing his thoughts, the intelligence answered. "Before
these humans who you led to me force me to leave, I am going to
take back a gift I gave you. Before I leave them, I will leave you."
By this point the fog had filled the room and was circling the
whimpering demon. "Get up!" commanded the voice. Still sob-
bing with the first fear he had felt in decades, Emmanuel found
himself succumbing to his master's will. Emmanuel watched as
the fog circled him in a tighter and tighter ringlet of luminous
steam. At that point he knew what was about to happen to him.

Emmanuel burst into tears ofpain and let out a scream of ter-
ror as the fog penetrated his body. He felt a thousand swords
pierce his skin and light it on fire. He fell to his knees as he felt
his very soul being rippedfrom his own body. His heart beat fast
as he felt his strength leave him and he totally collapsed on the
ground in a heap of tears and sobs. His mind ached as it lost all
of its formidable power that he had grown so accustomed to.
Never in his life had he been without psychic abilities and he was
now disoriented and confused without the heightened senses. He
let out another scream as he felt his fangs recede and saw his
vision become unfocused in the dark room, all but blinding him
in the pitch-black cellar. For an hour he felt his abilities leave
him, one by one, each inciting new revolts of the flesh and mind
until the pain was so great that he couldn 't even scream anymore.
Eventually the fog left the room and Emmanuel felt so very alone.
He climbed into his coffin and fell unconscious.

When he awoke andfound himself lying in the box of the dead,
an uncontrollable panic came over him. He scrambled out of the
coffin and onto the ground, landing in a sliver of light in the late
afternoon sun. He cringed and though he felt no pain, he
screamed maniacally and crawled to a corner of the dugout cel-
lar. He surveyed his situation, realized what he had become, and
continued to weep.

The Abandoned Vampire R.C.C.

A vampire becomes abandoned when its lord intelligence
"leaves" the body of the demon, basically retracting its presence
from it. This has dire consequences to the former vampire as it
experiences separation from the intelligence. The creature finds
that he is neither demon nor man and can't live the lifestyle of
either. He has many of the limitations of both, but none of the
perks. His soul is a tragic one fraught with insanity and distress.
The torment drives most totally out of their minds and leads
many of the rest to living hell or suicide. Only the exceptionally

strong survive.
Vampires find these "fallen" beings disdainful and can even

see a black aura around them that cannot be masked by magic or
psionic means. Only vampires can see this aura, and all do so
with no P.P.E. or I.S.P. cost.

Upon being abandoned, the character loses all attributes and
abilities from their vampire transformation. Basically, the char-
acter is rolled up anew. If the character is actually being played

70

from conversion from human to vampire to Abandoned, skill their best to be evil and just attract some attention. They will
selection may differ slightly. See section on skills below. run around, howl, bite, and cause random mayhem for ten
minutes or until the vampire leaves. During this period, the
Note: This R.C.C. is available without limitation as a player character has a Horror Factor of 10.
character, but not recommended for beginner players due to the Combat: See skills.
difficulty to play such a character. Skills: Skills are handled in one of two ways. Most characters
Horror Factor: None normally, but 10 when in a mad fit (see will simply "make up" their background and former O.C.C.
The character remembers a great deal of what he knew before
below). he became a vampire. It just takes a while to remember.
Alignment: Almost always selfish. The character thinks about Choose a character class and take all O.C.C. skills (ignoring
nothing but trying to become human or vampire once again. "Other" and Secondary Skills) without O.C.C. skill bonuses.
Size and Weight: Standard for the race of the character, but 20% The character remains frozen at this level until he gains 2500
experience points. Then, add O.C.C. skill bonuses and take
lighter and very frail looking. Other and Secondary Skills as a first level character (taking
Attributes: I.Q. 2+2D6, M.E. 2+2D6, M.A. 2+2D6, P.S. 3+3D6, experience points back to zero). The character then advances
as normal. The same is done with magic abilities. No spells
P.P. 2+3D6, P.E. 2+2D6, P.B. 5+1D4, Spd. 3D6. Although are known until the character accumulates the 2500 points
most mental prowess is diminished to even sub-human stan- needed to reach first level.
dards (due to mental shock from separation), the body is still If the character that was abandoned has been played for the
physically fit (though it doesn't look it), but compared to the whole nine yards from human to vampire to Abandoned Vampire,
vampire state is inferior. simply use the O.C.C. known before the character was "turned".
P.P.E.:3D6 Proceed as described above.
S.D.C.: 2D4xlO, regardless of former race (even once-M.D.C.
creatures become S.D.C.). The creature no longer has the The Blood Priest
immunities of a vampire to the extent of their former life, but
is resistant to some forms of attack. See the section on Natural Servant of the Intelligence
Abilities for details.
Hit Points: P.E. + 1D6 per level of experience. Remember that Of all of the creatures to come through any Rift on Earth, per-
upon being abandoned the former vampire loses all old statis- haps none is as fearsome or terrible as the Blood Priest. Not
tics including former Hit Points. because they look hideous or murder people for food and pleas-
Psionics: None, even if they existed before becoming a vampire. ure, but because they are willing servants to the most vile of any
On the other hand, they are impervious to vampire mind con- of the enemies of mankind: the Vampire Intelligence.
trol (not necessarily good in the eyes of the Abandoned). Well,
"impervious" may be misleading. The truth is that no vampire Blood Priests can be of virtually any race, but are usually
will even attempt to control any Abandoned Vampire. those such as Gargoyles, Wolfen, Lesser Demons, or a violently
Scholars believe it is due to disdain for the "fallen" vampires. mad and evil Elf or human that associates with vampires.
Natural abilities: The character has lost virtually all abilities of Whoever the creature, he gives his soul to the intelligence in
their vampire life and the one prior. Some abilities do exist to exchange for awesome power and eternal damnation.
a lesser degree, however. The character is vulnerable to ener-
gy, kinetic, and all other attacks, but only takes half damage. In game terms, the character is basically a Witch who has
Also, the Abandoned Vampire retains the ability to damage entered into a pact with a powerful Vampire Intelligence. Due to
other vampires. Use the character's normal punch, kick, and the unique nature of the vampire, the resulting gifts are different
other physical damages in Hit Points to vampires. The charac- from the traditional Witch, as is the pact. The powers bestowed
ter is repulsive to all vampires and will never be fed on by mimic the abilities, powers, and weaknesses of the controlling
vampires (their blood is disgusting). This also eliminates the intelligence.
chance that he will be turned back into a vampire (not neces-
sarily good in the eyes of the character). Functions of the Blood Priest
Vulnerabilities: Weapons of silver do double damage to the
character and weapons of wood do triple damage, despite the The Blood Priest has several advantages that make him more
lack of the vampire presence (thought by scholars to be as useful to the intelligence in many ways than a regular vampire.
much a mental weakness as physical). Though the character For one, he can be created while the intelligence is trapped in
may crave blood, drinking more than an ounce will cause the another dimension and used to either prepare the way for his
Abandoned Vampire to wretch and vomit uncontrollably. coming or take vengeance on those who last expelled him from
Penalties are: Attacks reduced to one, -5 on all combat rolls, - that particular realm. The priest is used in establishing a cult to
40% on all skills. Effects last for 2D4 melees. worship the intelligence and his vampire minions, a vital part of
Insanity: The Abandoned Vampire has a number of insanities. establishing a foothold in a region.

Roll once on the phobia table and once on the obsession table. The cult that follows the intelligence is one way that the evil
Both insanities will link back to some experience from their creature manipulates and influences local culture to bend it to
life as a vampire. Also, 65% long to become vampires again. evil ways. This creates loyal and even fanatical servants without
For these Abandoned, winning the favor of a vampire (any the intelligence or his minions having to control them directly.
vampire) and becoming even a slave of one will become top They can be drawn on for their P.P.E. reserves or sent into battle
priority. Whenever they approach a vampire they are scoffed alongside their vampire masters. They can serve as protectors for
(rarely even attacked). After a few minutes of mistreatment the demons during the day in exchange for protection from other
and being ignored, the character will go into a mad fit, trying supernatural threats during the night. They are a constant source

71

72

for blood sacrifice and other ritual components. Best of all, they ing one's own P.P.E., and the basics behind all types of magic.
can act on the will of the intelligence even when he is trapped in The priest may not learn new spells through any means. He can
another dimension, perhaps accounting for the popularity of use Techno-Wizardry devices and recognize runes and wards,
"gothic" and other vampire worship observed in modern soci- though he may not be able to decipher them.
eties. The leader of this movement is a Blood Priest, a being who
communicates with and belongs to a master who he may or may In addition, the Blood Priest has the following abilities:
not ever see return to Earth.
Commune with Intelligence
Why Become a Blood Priest? Range: Indefinite, even across dimensions.
Duration: An hour of preparation gives five minutes of commu-
Throughout time has existed the desire by humans and other
creatures in the Megaverse for supreme power. Being a Blood nication per level of experience of the priest.
Priest ensures just that. Hundreds, maybe thousands of cult mem- Saving Throw: Not applicable.
bers bowing to your commands, unreal natural and supernatural P.P.E.: 25
abilities, and being totally unique in the kingdom of the intelli-
gence are all reasons, especially the latter. An intelligence may When the priest needs to contact his master intelligence, he
never have at any time more than one Blood Priest to command. spills an ounce of his own blood during a ceremony which
The pact and special supernatural link between the two may not requires an hour to complete. At that point, a line of communica-
be repeated as long as the Blood Priest is alive. This places the tion is established with the master intelligence. This line remains
priest in an authoritative position. After all, in a large kingdom open for five minutes per level of the priest. The intelligence may
even the Master Vampire has his peers. establish this line of contact at any time at no P.P.E. cost, no
preparation time, and no limit on communication time.
Basically, it all comes down to the desire for power and
authority. By entering into the pact with the intelligence, the Blood Rift
Blood Priest gains three gifts: Power, Magic, and Union. Range: The Rift may be created up to 100 feet (30.5 m) away

The Gift of Power from the caster, though it must be over the blood pool and on
a ley line nexus.
Choose four of the following: Duration: One minute per level of the priest. The ritual takes one
• Add 2D6xlO to I.S.P. hour of preparation.
• Add !D6xlO to P.P.E. Saving Throw: Not applicable.
• Super tough: add 200 Hit Points. See notes below on convert- P.P.E.: 500
By spilling a gallon of fresh blood on a nexus, the priest can
ing S.D.C. or M.D.C. to H.P. open a dimensional Rift to any dimension with which the intelli-
• Cannot be transformed by any means. gence is familiar. This is often used to bring in the intelligence's
• Increased mental endurance: Impervious to vampire mind con- minions from other dimensions or for the priest to dimension hop
to and from desired locations. Standard rules for random encoun-
trol, +3 to save vs Horror Factor, psionic attack, and mind con- ters with open Rifts apply.
trol. Add 6 to M.E. attribute.
• Automatically see the invisible, infrared, ultraviolet, and smell Blood Sight
blood up to a mile (1.6 km) away. Range: Indefinite, even cross-dimensional.
• Control 1D4 lesser undead (Secondary and Wild Vampires, Duration: One minute, maximum five minutes.
plus other undead), + 1 per level of experience. Saving Throw: Not applicable.
• Receives the psychic abilities of Sixth Sense, Sense Magic, and P.P.E.: 30 P.P.E. per minute, maximum five minutes.
Sense Evil.
• Supernatural strength and endurance: Add 10 to both attributes, By peering into a pool of fresh blood, the priest can see other
and the priest can damage supernatural creatures (including people or far-off places, much like a crystal ball. Either the priest
vampires) in the same manner as a Secondary Vampire. or the one who spilled his blood must be very familiar with the
• Immune to any and all pain. place or person being viewed. It takes roughly a pint of blood to
• The ability to live on blood, as per vampires. This does not create the pool. The ritual requires 30 P.P.E. per minute of view-
carry all of the costs of true vampirism, and only requires one ing with a maximum of five minutes before the blood spoils and
pint of blood per week. The bonus is that the P.P.E. taken from the view is lost. The blood must be from a live victim or donor.
an animal or human sacrifice is doubled. So, not only double
P.P.E. is obtained from a blood sacrifice, but a massive four Create Blood Wraith
times! Starving penalties are the same as a vampire, but take Type: Ritual only.
twice as long to set in. Duration: The curse is permanent until the priest is slain. If the

• Bio-regenerate 2D6 H.P. per melee. This regeneration does not priest dies a natural death (not violent) then the intelligence
continue past death. must be killed to free the spirit. The ritual takes 5 hours.
Saving Throw: 16, + 1 per three levels of experience of the
The Gift of Magic priest.
P.P.E.: 1500
The Blood Priest retains any knowledge he had of magic
(frozen at the level when the being became a Blood Priest), plus This ritual is a long and complicated blood sacrifice that yields
has full knowledge of blood sacrifices, rituals, tapping ley lines no P.P.E., but curses the soul of the victim, dooming it to exist
and others for P.P.E., methods of meditation and rest for recover- forever as a Blood Wraith, a type of vampiric ghost. The P.P.E.
cost is so great that generally the ceremony includes many blood
sacrifices to help fuel the ritual. The final step involves the burn-
ing of the body to ashes, killing it and condemning its soul for-
ever. See below for stats on the Blood Wraith.

73

The Gift of Union 100 Hit Points. He much prefers to sleep during the day, or if
he must be up, stay indoors out of the light where his bonuses
After the union with the intelligence, the entire perspective of are full.
the new Blood Priest is changed. He or she becomes confident,
bold, and mentally strong. The priest becomes an excellent plan- The Pact
ner and very patient, all virtues of his new master. An alignment
change is immediate, and the new code of ethics and morals Vampire Intelligences are different from most supernatural
becomes that of the master intelligence, almost always Diabolic beings in the fact that their existence and livelihood stems from
Evil. The priest always feels superior to regular mortals, but infe- creating minions and establishing holds in other dimensions
rior to Master Vampires and ancient Secondaries. The dark priest through the recruiting and turning of master servants. Because of
feels a kinship and equality with Secondary Vampires, though not this, the Vampire Intelligence does not require tasks to be done or
many of them return his affection. offer any other benefits through advanced commitment, as is the
case with normal Witches. The only requirement is a lifelong
Even the physical appearance of the priest changes, becoming servitude and loyalty. Failure or breach of this one requirement
more attractive and the skin paling, becoming almost white. The means death for the priest, but only after a long period of pain
most noticeable feature of the priest and one which makes them and suffering. Chances are that the demon familiar or a horde of
often mistaken for vampires is that when using psychic or other vampires would kill the priest if he went rogue and left his mas-
natural abilities his or her eyes glow blood red, as do a vampire's. ter.
The very presence of the priest is enough to inspire respect and
fear. After years of faithful servitude, the priest is often a candidate
to become a Master Vampire (assuming the priest is humanoid).
From the union with the Vampire Intelligence, the priest gains This usually appeals to the priest, especially if he is aging. Other
all of the following abilities: times, an intelligence finds another superior being to replace his
• Unlike normal Witches, the Blood Priest keeps any psionic existing priest. Since there can only exist one priest at any given
time, the former often finds himself as a Secondary Vampire, just
abilities he or she had at full strength. another among the hordes.
• Additional +3D6xlO to I.S.P. All I.S.P. of the priest is available
Also note that a major difference between the Blood Priest and
to the intelligence at any time. The same is true with P.P.E. other Witches is the lack of a demon familiar. The Blood Priest
• Additional +2D4xlO P.P.E. will never have a familiar and therefore does not bear the Devil's
• Add 4 to P.B. and gains a Horror Factor of 10. Mark.
• Summon and command lesser demons and the dead: 3D6 of
Blood Priest O.C.C.
these may be summoned and controlled as many as 3 times per
day. The control lasts one hour per level of the priest, though Not suggested as a player character
after the control period is over they will never attack the priest Racial Requirements: Basically the same as any Witch.
or those protected by him.
• Long life: The priest will live as much as three times the nor- Humans, humanoids, and Elves are highly desired for the
mal life expectancy of his or her race. position, especially Blood Druids, Blood Shamans, and
• Convert any S.D.C. to H.P., add Hit Points, and then add Necromancers. Other popular O.C.C.s include practitioners of
3D4xlO. Alternately, if an M.D.C. creature, multiply the magic, Druids, and powerful psychics. Often a priest is
M.D.C. number times 100 and then convert to H.P. and add recruited from across the Megaverse and transported by the
3D4xlO. Unlike true vampires, the Blood Priest still takes intelligence to its chosen staging ground via the Blood Rift.
Mega-Damage from attacks inflicting Mega-Damage. This Creatures of magic and supernatural beings can not become
means that they are still vulnerable to most modern energy Blood Priests, including vampires.
weapons, magic, rail guns, and Vibro-weaponry, though they Attribute Limitation: Upon conversion into a Blood Priest, the
are resistant to a point. See below. character takes on the alignment of the intelligence, almost
always Diabolic Evil.
Physical resistance and weakness O.C.C. Notes: Whatever the character's former O.C.C., all
skills, natural abilities, and magic are permanently frozen at
• Energy, kinetic, and most magic attacks inflict half damage to their current level and experience points drop to zero. Use the
the Blood Priest. Mega-Damage attacks still do M.D.C. and Witch experience table for the new O.C.C. For every odd level
S.D.C. attacks still do H.P./S.D.C. damage. Magic weapons of experience starting at level 3, two skills (no bonuses) may
inflict full damage. Remember that one point of Mega- be selected from among the following categories: Domestic,
Damage is equal to 100 H.P./S.D.C. This means that the priest Pilot, Medical, Rogue, Science, Technical, and Wilderness. If
may be able to resist small amounts of Mega-Damage.
a skill is chosen one that the character already has, it becomes
• Weapons of silver and wood do double damage. Mega-Damage unfrozen and continues advancing at the next level of experi-
attacks still do M.D.C. and S.D.C. attacks still do H.P./S.D.C. ence.
damage.
Equipment: It is likely that the priest will be provided every-
• Water, holy water, the cross, garlic, and wolfbane do no dam- thing he needs by the intelligence's vampire kingdom. If for
age to the priest, but he is naturally wary and fearful of them, some reason he is not, perhaps the priest is preparing the way
giving them a Horror Factor of 12. Provided the H.F. roll is for the intelligence's coming or he is traveling and building
the strength of the intelligence's cult or preparing for a new
beaten, the priest can freely move over flowing rivers, circles kingdom in a different region, he has only the possessions he
of garlic, and other barriers that hold back vampires. owned when he was recruited.
• The priest can function in direct sunlight, but is -1 attack, -2 on
all combat rolls and saving throws, -10% on all skills, and -

74

Money: The priest, once the intelligence is on earth and its king-
dom prospering, will live like a king with all of the wealth he
can imagine. The larger the cult, the more tithes brought in,
and the richer the priest becomes.

Blood Wraith

N.P.C. monster and villain

A Blood Wraith is the damned soul of an enemy of a Vampire
Intelligence, once a living, breathing, sentient being, who has
been cursed for all time to live on the blood of other beings. Like
a true vampire, the blood of stock animals can't replace the need
for humanoid blood, and its thirst is insatiable. This causes the
Blood Wraith to feed constantly, rarely leaving victims with a
drop of blood left in their bodies. Fortunately, these vile creatures
are very rare and limited to those places where large vampire
kingdoms thrive. This means that Mexico, South America, and
the southwestern portions of the continental United States are the
most common areas where these phantoms are found.

The Blood Wraith is easy to recognize and even easier to see.
It radiates a dark red glow, is semi-transparent and has a vaguely
humanoid form. It seems to float in the air about a foot (.3 m)
from the ground and moves slowly, making it easy to escape the
creature even on foot. This fact, compiled with the creature's
cowardice and dislike for being seen, makes the creature prone to
prey on sleeping children, especially babies, who have no way to
escape until it is too late. Their intangible bodies also allow them
to slide through walls or up from the ground to ambush and sur-
prise victims.

The wraith attacks by allowing its intangible body to slide
over the victim, paralyzing it. The sensation felt by the prey is
similar to being stung by 1000 needles at once, all over the body,
as its blood seeps to the surface through the flesh and into the red
aura that makes up the Wraith's form. Despite all attempts, the
stunned victim can't mutter anything louder than a whisper. The
Blood Wraith can drain one pint of blood per minute in this man-
ner and will only stop when scared away by someone other than
its victim.

The Blood Wraith may not be killed, but can be warded off
with fire and the creature cannot enter a ring of fire. Even a can-
dle wielded aggressively at the ghost will cause it to turn tail and
run.

The Blood Wraith is the product of a curse placed on a blood
sacrifice by a Blood Priest, though this is hardly common knowl-
edge. The only way to expel the demon from the earthly realm is
to kill the priest who created it, or kill its master intelligence. See
the Blood Priest O.C.C. for further details on the creation and
destruction of Blood Wraiths.

The Blood Wraith

Alignment: Considered Anarchist.
Attributes: Very low sentient intelligence: I.Q. 1D4, M.E. 1D6,
M.A. 2D4, P.S. not applicable, P.P. 2D4, P.E. not applicable, P.B.
2D4, Spd 1D4+4 floating in the air, half that going through solid

material.
Hit Points/M.D.C.: Not applicable, invulnerable to damage.
Horror Factor: 15
P.P.E.: 10
Natural Abilities: Invulnerable, never tires, does not require air,

food, or water, float in the air, immune to all magic, psionics,
and possession.

75

Weaknesses: Can not handle solid objects, constantly craves widespread, and over time, certain variations and specialties have
blood, and has a total fear of fire and vampires. Can not drain arisen among its practitioners. Below are the ones most common
blood from creatures of magic or supernatural beings. on Rifts Earth, some of the most evil creatures to walk the plan-
et.
Combat: 2 attacks per melee, no bonuses. Has no means to dam-
age other than its blood drain, which does 1D6 damage direct Cursebringer O.C.C.
to Hit Points every melee. Victims of the blood drain must
save vs magic or be completely helpless, unable to move away Arguably the most powerful of the Necromantic practitioners
from the Blood Wraith. of magic, the powers of the Cursebringer are drawn from the twin
forces of Famine and Pestilence. While the Cursebringer does not
Magic: None have the hard offensive power of the Warbom or the murderous
Psionics: None talents of the Murder-Mage, he is capable of creating much more
Average Life Span: Unknown; presumed immortal. misery and pain. When the word "curse" comes to mind, one
Languages: Doesn't seem to speak or understand any language. often thinks of a spell that inflicts bad luck or some minor ail-
Habitat: Known to exist from South America to the American ment. But for the Cursebringer, this is only the barest potential of
the true curse. To him, a curse includes a deadly plague unleashed
Southwest. upon a village, a drought that endangers the countryside, or a
Allies: Does not associate with other beings. hero turned into a rat. How threatening does a lone homicidal
Enemies: Everyone killer seem when compared to a swarm of locusts consuming all
Size: Roughly six feet (1.8m) tall and of humanoid shape. in their path? Indeed, it is the ability to curse an entire communi-
Weight: Weightless ty that makes the Cursebringer so deadly and so feared.

Bring Out The Cursebringer uses his power and the fear he instills to
Your Dead! coerce others to obey his will. The threat of starvation or plague
may be scoffed at first. But when the first wave of drought hits or
Optional New Character Classes for Rifts® when a dozen children run hot with fever, these threats are taken
very seriously, very quickly. Even brave heros and gung-ho war-
By Mark Sumimoto riors fold quickly when struck with ill luck that renders them
unable to shoot straight. The power of the Cursebringer is such
Of the many mystic arts in the Megaverse, few are more des- that he need not even be in the area when his might is felt. A vil-
picable than Necromancy. Regardless, it is very ancient and lage could be beset by the fiercest storm, while its creator sits
high and dry in safety a hundred miles away. He can even cast
curses with effects that are not felt until after the Cursebringer is
long gone.

In addition to magical power, the Cursebringer also has con-
siderable psionic ability. His primary psionic power is the Evil
Eye, more commonly known as Bio-Manipulation. Rather than
having to spend minutes casting a powerful curse, the
Cursebringer can use his psionics to inflict a less powerful, but
similar effect in just a few seconds. In addition to the abilities of
the standard Bio-Manipulation power, he can cause a victim to
burn up with fever, buckle over in nausea, or collapse from
fatigue. Standard practice is to use this power to buy time to cast
a true curse. It is rarely used as a curse in and of itself, unless the
Cursebringer is really strapped for time or just trying to escape.

It is very important to keep in mind that the curses practiced
by the Cursebringer are not limited to those labeled as such. A
summoned tectonic entity that keeps throwing trash at a single
victim or being constantly followed by a pack of dogs can be con-
sidered curses. The Cursebringer can summon a possessing enti-
ty, send it to possess a victim, and make him do odd things occa-

sionally, like kill a baby or stab a comrade in the back. And don't
forget about metamorphosis magic. Imagine having the body of a
Great Horned Dragon with the strength of a human. Even worse,
imagine that situation in Coalition territory. Clearly, with sum-
moning and metamorphosis magic at his disposal, the
Cursebringer can inflict a much broader range of pain and misery
than possible with usual curses alone.

More impressive to the Cursebringer than the power of his
magic is his ability to make others do his bidding without raising
a finger. Many times the simple threat of retribution is enough to

76

make some people capitulate to the mage's desires. This is most ends. This is where the Cursebringer's ability to recognize and

beneficial to the Cursebringer since his most powerful magic diagnose curses comes in most handy.

requires so much P.P.E. to cast. As long as his victims fear him, Another common practice, if the victim has powerful friends,

he need not cast another curse, unless he so desires. Of course, is to claim that this particular curse requires a special component

many Cursebringers are evil beings who enjoy inflicting pain, so in order to be removed and it must be removed within a certain

they often keep in practice by casting hexes on innocent victims time period or the victim will die! Rarely does this component

every now and then. The ability to get what he wants with just a have anything to do with the curse and it is really something the

threat makes many a Cursebringer very complacent and lazy. If Cursebringer wants for himself. The specified time period is just

he gets sloppy, he may find his throat slit in the night by a fed up the amount of time left on the curse, since he can't very well let

servant. However, it is a common belief among those familiar the victim get better on his own. Where's the profit in that?

with them that killing a Cursebringer will unleash an even greater As you may have guessed, the Cursebringer often creates

curse upon the assassin and his people. To some extent, this is business for himself by casting curses on people in his neighbor-

true (or at least possible), but is mostly just a myth that the hood. As soon as the victim feels its effects, he heads (or is car-

Cursebringer does his best to perpetuate. ried) straight to the local medicine man (or the Cursebringer pos-

A practice that is common among Cursebringers is to sell their ing as one) to have the curse lifted. This is an easy task since he

services as a curse remover. Those in need of such services are was the one who cast it in the first place and can dispel it with a

often ready to pay large sums of money to get them, even though thought. Usually, he goes through an elaborate display that seems

most curses are temporary anyway. Of course, only someone to take a lot out of him to "remove" the curse. This is done both

knowledgeable in magic or magic lore will know such helpful to show the amount of effort and energy he had to expend to per-

hints. The Cursebringer certainly knows this, but is not about to form the removal and to convince the people of his authenticity.

tell that to someone about to give him a sack full of gold. In fact, If the Cursebringer is careful in his distribution of his curses, no

if the curse is within an hour or two of elapsing, the Cursebringer one suspects his involvement and they blame it on some enig-

will rush the victim into his treatment room or area and perform matic witch in the area. Yes, being accepted as a good and

a removal ritual that lasts for about an hour or two. The ritual is respected medicine man is a status adored by truly evil

all faked, of course, and the "removal" occurs when the spell Cursebringers, who are laughing maniacally in private the whole

time.

77

Cursebringers are most common in Africa where they origi- focusing and concentrating for a moment, the Cursebringer can
nated. Many ally themselves with African Witches with whom make everyone in his presence fearful and afraid of him.
they share a common interest and spell knowledge. They are Everyone within 100 feet (30.5 m) of the Cursebringer must roll
already a great problem in Europe, where they prey on the gypsy a saving throw vs Horror Factor or suffer the standard penalties.
communities. There, the gypsies are forced to pay a percentage of Alternately, he can direct this power to one specific individual at
their stolen goods to the Cursebringer or else he sends them harsh an even greater range of 300 feet (91.4 m) with the same effects.
weather and robs their best thieves of their talents. Cursebringers Horror Factor is 12, +1 at levels 3, 6, 10 and 14. This attack
are also becoming more common in the Magic Zone, where small counts as one melee action and can be used at will as often as
villages and Fadetowns are seen as ideal places to work their needed without I.S.P. cost.
magic. In Mexico, the few Cursebringers who have made their
way there are a growing problem to vampire hunters and human 4. I.S.P.: !D6xlO plus the M.E. attribute number. 1D6+1
communities. Allied with the vampires who rule Mexico, I.S.P. is gained at each additional level of experience. The
Cursebringers summon droughts and destroy woodlands at the Cursebringer is considered to be a major psionic and requires a
request of their allies. This further depletes the amount of 12 or higher to save against psionic attacks.
weapons which can be used to fight the nearly invulnerable vam-
pires. Reid's Rangers and The Children of Quetzalcoatl deal ruth- Magic Powers of the Cursebringer
lessly with these mages and treat them just like they do their
undead allies (in some cases, right down to the stake in the heart). 1. Recognize Curses: With a glance, a Cursebringer can rec-
ognize if a person is under the influence of a curse or similar
Psionic Powers of the Cursebringer magical influence, including possession. At the cost of 2 P.P.E.,
he can discern the exact nature of the curse and its effects, the
1. The £vU Eye: A more powerful version of the super psion- remaining duration, and the level at which it was cast. If the
ic power, Bio-Manipulation, this power functions just like that cursed individual's form has been radically changed as a result of
power, but with more available effects. Duration is the same the curse, the Cursebringer will be able to see his true form. This
(4D4 minutes), but is doubled if the Cursebringer is actual touch- includes victims of the Transformation ritual, unwilling victims
ing the target, preferably near the part of the body to be affected. of metamorphosis and similar magic, and cursed locations and
I.S.P. cost is only 5 and range is increased to an incredible 500 items.
feet (152.4 m). The following effects are in addition to those
available from the standard power: 2. Immunity to Curses and Magic Sickness: Part of his
• Fatigue: The victim's body will feel twice as heavy to him, as training in curse magic includes a resistance to it. Normal curses
and magic sicknesses will not affect the Cursebringer at all.
his body begins to produce fatigue poisons at a rapid rate. Those cast by a god, demon lord, alien intelligence, or one of the
Penalties are: -4 to P.S., P.E., and Spd and -3 to all combat Four Horsemen can affect the Cursebringer, but duration will be
abilities. half and he has an extra bonus of +2 to save. In addition, he can
• Fever: The victim's body temperature rises to dangerous lev- use his power of Remove Curse to eliminate the ailment, unless
els, leaving him weak and tired. Attacks per melee and Spd the effects of the curse somehow interfere.
will be reduced by half, skills are reduced by -30%, and com-
bat bonuses are halved. In addition, the victim will be very dis- 3. Remove Curses: Identical in function to the common spell
oriented and may even pass out. of the same name, except that this magic is more powerful and
• Hunger: Instills the victim with a voracious hunger. Penalties less costly. P.P.E. cost is only 40 and the ritual version takes half
while hungry are: -1 to all combat abilities. If the victim acts the time to conduct. Against curses that are resistant to Remove
on this feeling and eats past the point of being full, he will be Curse, such as Transformation, the chance of working is doubled.
very sick and will vomit 1D4 times in the next ten minutes. In addition, the magic can be used to exorcize possessing spirits
Penalties are the same as when hungry, except that the victim (20 P.P.E.) and reverse metamorphoses (60 P.P.E.).
will be totally impaired for one melee round while vomiting.
• Nausea: A general feeling of stomach uneasiness strikes the Removing permanent curses is possible, but difficult. 200
victim. Penalties are the same as with hunger, except that the P.P.E. and an hour long ritual are required and even then the curse
victim will not need to stuff himself to vomit in the next ten may still exist. The cursed person gets another opportunity to
minutes. save against the curse, but with only his normal bonuses, addi-
• Sneezing: Uncontrollable bouts of sneezing overcome the vic- tional bonuses from the ritual are not available. The ritual may be
tim. Attacks per melee are reduced by half, the victim is -4 to attempted again at any time, but three failures mean that the
strike, and prowling is impossible. Cursebringer is unable to remove it. However, another
• Weakness: A loss of breath and a general feeling of fatigue Cursebringer may try. The ritual can also be used against cursed
strike the victim. All combat abilities are reduced by -4. weapons and places with a 75% chance of working. A rune
2. Immunity to Bio-Manipulation: Bio-Manipulation and weapon that has been cursed from its creation cannot have its
similar psionic attacks will not affect the Cursebringer. This curse removed.
includes Psychosomatic Disease, Deaden Senses, Induce Sleep,
and anything else which affects the body. Psionic healing is not 4. Mastery over Curse Magic and Initial Spell Knowledge:
included. The Cursebringer is so familiar with curses and similar magic
3. Induce Fear: This is an automatic power of the that he is able to cast those selected from the common spell list-
Cursebringer that constantly works at low levels to make those in ing at half the P.P.E. cost of other mages. Summoning and meta-
his presence uneasy and apprehensive around the mage. By morphosis magic are also cast at half the P.P.E. cost, but only
when used to inflict harm on another, such as sending a swarm of
locusts to a farm or turning someone into a newt. If used on him-
self or to summon defenders, the P.P.E. cost is standard. All
magic selected from the African Witch or Necro-Magic listings

78

require full P.P.E. to cast. Keep in mind, however, that non- mages. Many good Cursebringers also learn medicinal skills to
Necromancers normally cast Necro-Magic at twice the listed become full-fledged medicine men.
P.P.E. cost and the only other O.C.C. that can cast African Witch O.C.C. Skills:
magic is the African Witch. See Rifts® Africa for details about
African Witches and their magic. Languages and Literacy: Two of choice at 95%.
Math: Basic (+15%)
Beginning magic knowledge includes the African Witch Art (+15%)
spells, Taboo, Charge Object With Evil, Pestilence Touch, and Sculpting and Whittling (+10%)
Delirium, the Necromantic spells, Curse of Hunger (new), Curse Land Navigation (+10%)
of Wasting (new), and Maggots, and the common spells, Death Astronomy (+10%)
Curse, Sickness, and Spoil. At each additional level of experi- Wilderness Survival (+5%)
ence, the Cursebringer will figure out one additional curse, meta- Hand to Hand Combat must be selected as an "other" skill
morphosis, or summoning spell from either the Necro-Magic or selection. Hand to Hand: Basic counts as one skill selection,
common spell listings or any spells from the African Witch Expert counts as two, and Assassin or Martial Arts counts as
magic list. Additional spell magic can also be learned as usual, three.
but new curses, metamorphosis, and summoning magic will be O.C.C. Related Skills: Select six skills at level one, plus one
most coveted. Other areas of interest include any spells which are additional skill at levels 3, 5, 8 and 13.
detrimental to living beings, such as Blind or Befuddle, or any- Communications: Radio: Basic or Performance only.
thing related to illness. See Rifts® Mystic Russia™ for details Cowboy: None
on the new Necromantic spells. Domestic: Any (+10%)
Electrical: None
5. P.P.E.: !D6xlO plus the P.E. attribute number. 2D6 P.P.E. Espionage: Any, except Sniper or Tracking.
is gained at each additional level of experience. Much of the Mechanical: None
Cursebringer's magic requires a lot more P.P.E. than he personal- Medical: First Aid or Holistic Medicine only (+12% for good-
ly has. Accordingly, he relies greatly on ley lines, nexus points, aligned characters).
and sacrifices to weave his magic. Military: None
Physical: Any, except Acrobatics, Boxing, and Wrestling.
6. Magic and O.C.C. Bonuses: +1 to save vs magic at levels Pilot: Any, except Robots and Power Armor, Tanks and APCs,
3, 6, 10 and 14, +1 to Spell Strength at levels 4, 8 and 13, +1 to and Jet Aircraft.
save vs possession and mind control at levels 1, 4, 7, 10 and 14, Pilot Related: Any
and +3 to save vs Horror Factor at level one, +1 at levels 2, 5, 8 Rogue: Any (+2%)
and 13. Science: Any (+5%)
Technical: Any (+5%)
Cursebringer O.C.C. Weapon Proficiencies: Any
Wilderness: Any (+5%)
(N.P.C. Villain and Optional Player Character) Secondary Skills: Select two Secondary Skills at level one, plus
one additional at levels 2, 4, 7, 10 and 14 from those listed
Also known as: The Plaguegiver, Cursed One, and Child of excluding those marked "None". These are additional areas of
Famine and Pestilence. knowledge that do not get the advantage of the bonuses listed
Alignment Restrictions: Any, but the vast majority are evil. in parentheses. All Secondary Skills start at the base skill
Good-aligned Cursebringers are possible, and they will use their level.
powers to combat their evil brethren.
Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 12, M.E. 10, and P.E. 10 or high- Standard Equipment: Starts with several sets of regular cloth-
er. ing, a cloak or cape, utility belt, canteen, survival knife, a
Race Restrictions: No restrictions, but most are humans or D- backpack, sleeping bag, bag of rock salt, several pouches of
preserving spices, 50 feet (15.2 m) of strong rope, a flashlight,
Bees. several candles, a lighter or box of matches, several sets of
Player Character Note: Evil Cursebringers are the ultimate costume jewelry, and some personal items. They tend to dress
lavishly or under layers of cloaks and ornate jewelry.
extortionists. Individuals who do not comply with the Weapons include one silver-plated dagger or short sword,
Cursebringer's demands will find themselves covered with a one ancient style Techno-Wizard or other low level magic
pox or transformed into a rodent. Powerful Cursebringers can weapon of choice, and one modern weapon of choice. Body
blackmail whole communities by threatening them with a armor can be any light style, but must not be full environmen-
drought or a swarm of locusts. Regardless, an evil tal or composed primarily of metal.
Cursebringer enjoys using his power to manipulate others. Starts with one non-military land vehicle, horse, or other
Actually, he takes greater pleasure in having his demands met riding creature of choice. A better vehicle may be acquired
on the merit of the threat alone. If he can get what he wants
without having to use his magic, it is taken as a sign of true later, but since most Cursebringers prefer to linger in one
power. Another common practice among evil Cursebringers is place for a while before moving on, this is not likely.
to offer to remove a curse, but request that a special compo- Money: !D4xlOOO credits and 2D6xlOOO credits worth of gems
nent be found for him first. Of course, he will insist that it is and jewelry. The Cursebringer makes a lot of money later in
essential for the removal of the curse, but is usually just for the life, but doesn't start with a whole lot.
mage's own use. Cybernetics: None to start and will be avoided at all costs. Only
A good-aligned Cursebringer is a rarity, but not unheard of.
These noble mages use their powers to counter those of evil
Cursebringers. The ability to recognize and remove curses can be
very beneficial in searching ancient ruins or combating evil

79

cybernetics to replace missing parts will be considered and dead at your beck and call is enough power for most
even then bio-systems will be most desired. Necromancers. The Death Walker goes a few steps further with
Cursebringer Experience Table his unmatched ability to create the undead. This power is highly
1 0,000-2,200 coveted in the Necromantic world and many would attempt to
2 2,201 - 4,400 learn or steal its secrets. The power to create Monster Zombies,
3 4,401 - 8,800 so much like that of Death itself, makes many Necromancers
4 8,801 - 16,800 very envious and resentful of the Death Walker.
5 16,801 - 25,200
6 25,201 - 35,000 Perhaps the most abhorrent and coveted power of the Death
7 35,001 - 50,500 Walker is to bring a person back from the grave for what is called
8 50,501 -71,000 "The Night of Vengeance". Basically, this magic creates a super
9 71,001 -97,500 zombie, called the Night Walker, that believes itself to be the
10 97,501 - 132,000 returned spirit of that person back to avenge his death at the
11 132,001- 175,000 hands of another. The Death Walker may invoke this magic for
12 175,001 - 242,500 any number of reasons. Often, it is because the victim was killed
13 242,501 -305,000 by an enemy of the mage. In this case, the resurrected person is
14 305,001 - 350,000 intended to be a psychological and physical weapon to be used
15 350,001 -400,000 against that enemy. Another reason is to use the resurrected per-
son as an intelligent ally. Should the Night Walker accomplish his
Death Walker O.C.C. mission or be otherwise convinced his killer is dead, he will
return to the Death Walker and ask to be returned to death. Since
"The living are weak. Pain, fear, sickness, suffering. They 're the Death Walker is the true power behind the Night Walker, he
all the bane of the living. They struggle all of their pathetic lives can do so with a thought. More often, though, the mage tells the
in afutile attempt to keep death one more day away. Fools. Death zombie that it must perform services for him as payment for his
is inevitable. Life is nothing more than the path to that ultimate return. After a few days of working for the mage, the Night
goal. I know. I walk among the dead. My life, forced as I am to Walker forgets about returning and continues its new "life" as a
lead it, has been spent in the presence of the dead and the minion of the Death Walker.
undead. Compared to the life-grubbers, my dead and undead
allies are the strong. They know no fear. Pain is meaningless to So far, the long training process and the great secrecy prac-
them. Sickness is a distant memory. And suffering is reserved for ticed by its masters make the Death Walker one of the least com-
the weak. Reserved, that is, until the weak finally become the mon practitioners of magic. Most are found alone or in small
strong." groups scattered across northern Africa. The southern regions are
generally avoided because of the Splugorth influence there.
- A common beliefamong the dark mages known as the Death These mages are also known to have traveled to other continents
Walkers including Asia, Europe, and the Americas. In South America,
they find the Ellal undead monsters to be very good allies. The
Caravans of animated dead are a common sight in the Phoenix Asian continent is covered with demonic monsters who the Death
Empire. Consequently, it is no surprise that one Necromantic Walker could ally himself with. In Europe, they are welcomed
character class has arisen that specializes in animating and rais- into the cults of the Blood Druids, who admire their abilities, but
ing the dead. He is called the Death Walker because of his prac- are not interested in stealing them. The Death Walkers in North
tice of surrounding himself with his undead minions. In addition America have taken refuge in the New West, where they can pass
to the walking skeletons, linen wrapped mummies, and brain- themselves off as mortuary operators, stealing the bodies of fall-
dead humanoid zombies commonly seen with Necromancers, the en gunmen to create more undead. This cover works well, but
Death Walker commands a number of monstrous, nightmarish many draw suspicion to themselves when they can't resist the
undead creatures and rather intelligent zombies. The nightmare temptation of returning a fallen Gunslinger for the Night of
creatures are Monster Zombies, very similar to the nightmare Vengeance.
zombies created by Death. The intelligent zombies are like the
dead returned to life, a shocking power that allows the dead to Magic Powers of the Death Walker
exact vengeance on their killers.
1. Animate the Dead: Identical to the power possessed by
Although all of the Necromantic practitioners of magic are the Necromancer, except that five corpses/skeletons can be con-
secretive by nature, the Death Walker is even more private. Cults trolled per each level of experience. See the Necromancer O.C.C.
and guilds of this magic class are rare. Even among the monsters description for details.
of the Phoenix Empire, they prefer to pass themselves off as tra-
ditional Necromancers, hiding their Monster Zombies from sight 2. Create Zombies and Mummies: The power to create nor-
until needed. The reason for this is unknown, but it seems that the mal zombies and mummies is identical to the magic described in
Death Walker dislikes the company of living beings, even those the Rifts® RPG. The main difference is that the Death Walker
who worship Death or live among the undead. He only seems to can perform the ritual at half the P.P.E. cost and in half the time.
find comfort in the company of his dead and undead servants or
other undead, including vampires, ghouls, and Dybbuk. So a mummy requires only 80 P.P.E. to create and a zombie

Another reason for his self-induced seclusion may be related requires 125 P.P.E.
to the great power he possesses. Just having a fearless army of the 3. Create Monster Zombies: Similar to the power possessed

by the Horseman of the Apocalypse, Death, the Death Walker is
able to create more powerful versions of the standard zombie.
The ritual requires the use of multiple bodies, at least three, and

80



takes 1D6 hours to perform. During the ceremony, the Death • Possesses 5 P.P.E. drawn from the Death Walker. If the

Walker stitches arms, legs, tentacles, and other limbs from vari- Monster Zombie is destroyed, this P.P.E. flows right back to its

ous beings to the body of another. Extra heads may also be added. creator. Conversely, if the Death Walker is killed, the Monster

The result is a mishmash of incongruous parts that vaguely Zombie falls to pieces.

resemble the originating body. • Can be held at bay with the Banishment spell or Circle of

Often, animal and monster corpses are rebuilt with a Protection.

humanoid head or hands or several animals are stitched together • Silver and fire inflict Mega-Damage to the Monster Zombie

to create a chimera-like amalgamation. Likewise, humanoid equal to their normal S.D.C. damage. Mega-Damage and

corpses can be rebuilt with animal heads or limbs. Giant-sized magic fire inflict double damage.

Monster Zombies can also be created, but require much larger

bodies and an additional two hours of work.

The maximum number of heads, arms, and tails a Monster

Zombie may have is four, plus one per every other level of the

Death Walker's experience, starting at level two. This means a

first level Death Walker may create a Monster Zombie with three

arms and one head, while a fifth level Death Walker can create

one with four arms and two heads. The maximum number of legs

it can have is equal to the maximum number of heads, arms, and

tails. Wings may be added to the Monster Zombie too, but each

counts as an arm and two wings are necessary for flight. Flight is

provided magically so the wings need not be fully intact, skeletal

wings are okay.

Range of control over the zombies is limited to 100 feet (30.5

m) per level of experience, but the Monster Zombie can venture

beyond that if so commanded by its master. After completing its 4. Night of Vengeance: By calling upon ancient magics and
task, it will return to the mage for further instruction. P.P.E. cost conducting a lengthy (2D4 hours) ritual, the Death Walker is able
is 300 for normal-sized Monster Zombies and 600 for giants, plus to resurrect a victim of foul play for one night of vengeance. The
5 P.P.E. temporarily imparted to the zombie for the duration of its ritual can only be performed at night, the results of which are not
existence. The powers and abilities of the Monster Zombie are as seen until the next night. As soon as the last ray of sunlight van-
follows: ishes over the horizon, the resurrected person, referred to as the
• I.Q. 8, PS. 24, considered to be supernatural, P.P. 20, RE. is Night Walker, erupts from the ground in front of the Death
Walker for a chance at revenge on the one who killed him.
effectively unlimited, P.B. 4, and Spd 14. Giant-sized Monster
Zombies receive an additional bonus of+10 to P.S., +2 to P.P., Actually, the magic does not really bring the person back to
and +10 to Spd. Additional legs above two provide a Spd life. What the ritual does is bond a Haunting Entity to the body
bonus of +2 per leg. Winged Monster Zombies can fly at a Spd of the person to be brought back. If the ritual is done right and the
of 28, +10 for giants. person really was killed by another, the Entity will imprint on the
• Punch and kick damage depends on the supernatural PS. last memories left in the body and believe itself to be that person
attribute. Claws add an additional 2D6 M.D. Tentacle, tail, and returned from the grave. Other aspects of the magic enable the
bite attacks inflict half damage. Entity to animate the body and provide it with much heightened
• M.D.C. is 2D6xlO for human sized zombies, plus 10 per level power. The cost of the ritual is a temporary expenditure of 500
of the Death Walker. M.D.C. for giants is 4D6xlO, plus 15 per P.P.E. plus 10 P.P.E. temporarily imparted to the zombie for the
level. Damage is regenerated at the rate of !D4xlO per hour. duration of its existence. The duration is effectively unlimited
Even if reduced to below zero M.D.C., the Monster Zombie and can be ended with a thought.
will still regenerate until back to full strength. The only way to
permanently destroy it is with the Exorcism power, the Once the resurrected person kills its killer, it loses purpose and
Remove Curse magic, or by killing the Death Walker who cre- effectively becomes just another zombie in service to the Death
ated it. Walker, though more powerful and intelligent. The zombie has
• Horror factor: 14 or 16 for giants. 48 hours to find and kill its killer. If it cannot do so or if its killer
• Attacks per melee are equal to the combined number of arms, is already dead, then it will revert to its creator's control. The rit-
heads, and tails possessed by the Monster Zombie. ual only works on people killed in the last 48 hours and cannot be
performed on supernatural creatures. Range of control is limited

• Combat bonuses are: +2 to initiative, +3 to strike, +4 to parry to voice command, but the Night Walker can conduct operations
and dodge, and +1 to entangle. An additional bonus of +1 to far away from its master. The powers of the Night Walker are as
strike and parry is gained with every arm or tentacle beyond follows:
the first two. • I.Q. 10 or whatever the person had in life, whichever is lower.

• Impervious to fear, drugs, poisons, and any magic or psionics The entity animating the zombie effectively duplicates every
that can only affect a living body. aspect of the person, right down to small personality quirks.
More importantly, the Night Walker has half the skills avail-
• Skills of the Monster Zombie are limited to climb 75/65% and

swim 50%. Tails and tentacles add a bonus of +5% to climb able to it in life, except for spell casting abilities and spell

per appendage. Flipper like legs add a bonus of +20% to swim knowledge, with only a -10% penalty in proficiency. Innate
(and +10 to Spd when swimming), but instill a penalty of-5 to magic powers, superhuman abilities, and psionic powers are

the Spd attribute on land. 82

lost as well. W.P. skills are performed at half the skill level the wishes and for defense. See Rifts® Mystic Russia™ for details
person had achieved in life. on the new Necromantic spells and Bone Magic.
• PS. 26 and is considered to be supernatural, PP. 14, P.E. is
effectively unlimited, P.B. 6, and Spd is 12. 9. P.P.E.: Base P.P.E. is 2D4xlO+10 plus the P.E. attribute
• M.D.C. is !D6xlO, +5 per level of the Death Walker at the number. Add 2D6 P.P.E. at each additional level of experience.
time of resurrection. Additional P.P.E. may be drawn from ley lines, nexus points, tal-
ismans, and other beings as usual.
• Horror factor: 14
• Hand to Hand Combat skill is equal to one level lower than 10. Magic Bonuses: +1 to save vs magic at levels 3,6, 10 and
14, +1 to Spell Strength at levels 4,7 and 12, +4 to save vs Horror
what the zombie knew in life.
• No pain! The Night Walker feels no pain and can function even Factor at level one, +1 at levels 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 15, and +2
to the M.E. attribute.
if reduced to -20 M.D.C. If destroyed, it will regenerate by the
next night, unless a successful psionic or magic exorcism is 11. Penalties and Insanities: Walking among the dead makes
performed on the body. the Death Walker rather detached from the world of the living. As
• No fear! Even if the zombie was a spineless coward in life that time progresses, he becomes further detached and out of touch
will not carry on into its afterlife. Only a threat from the Death with reality. Roll once on the Necromancer Insanity Table at lev-
Walker will cause it to cower. els two, four, seven, ten, thirteen, and fifteen.
• Possesses 10 P.P.E. drawn from the Death Walker. If the Night
Walker is destroyed, this P.P.E. flows right back to its creator. Death Walker O.C.C.
Conversely, if the Death Walker is killed, the Night Walker
falls to pieces and the motivating Entity is released. (N.P.C. Villain and Optional Player Character)
• Most magic and psionic attacks have no effect on the undead
Night Walker. However, magic and psionic energy attacks Also known as: Zombie Tamer, The Necro-Master, or, sim-
inflict full damage. Only powerful constraining magic, such as ply, The Master.
Banishment, and Circle of Protection (superior) are effective Alignment Restrictions: None, but the vast majority (90%) are
against the zombie. Constrain Being, Protection Circle: evil with most of the remainder (7%) being Anarchist. Although
Simple, and similar weak magic are ineffective against this this magic O.C.C. does not require murder or any other injury to
powerful zombie. Only Exorcism or a powerful Remove living creatures, the close relationship and domination of the
Curse, such as those cast by a god or a Cursebringer, can be dead is too depraved for most good and sane people to practice.
used to separate the animating Entity from the body. Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 12, M.E. 15, M.A. 12, and P.E. 13
• Fire and silver inflict Mega-Damage equal to their normal or higher. The higher the better for these attributes.
S.D.C. damage and M.D. and magic fire inflict double dam- Race Restrictions: None, but most are humans (40%) or D-Bees
age.
5. Impervious to Vampires: Identical to the Necromancer (35%). Supernatural creatures and demons make up another
ability of the same name. good percentage (20%) with the remaining being various
6. Recognize the Undead: The Death Walker's close link to aliens and creatures of magic.
the undead allows him to recognize them on sight. This includes Player Character Note: The Death Walker is usually quiet and
zombies, mummies, vampires, Dybbuk, and all undead creatures. even tempered. He rarely speaks above a whisper when he
No matter how much the undead tries to conceal itself or its true does speak and his motions are smooth and deliberate. This is
nature the mage will be able to spot it and determine the nature because most of his minions don't need to hear his voice to
and type of the undead instantly. Furthermore, if confronted with carry out his will and those who do are very attentive to his
animated dead, he can instantly recognize who their master is, hand signals. It is rare that one would find a Death Walker by
even if he is cloaked by magic. This power is automatic to the himself. If one is encountered alone, it is usually an illusion.
Death Walker and requires no P.P.E. to use. His minions will most likely be hidden nearby, usually under-
7. Strength in Numbers: While surrounded by his undead ground or hanging from the ceiling like meat in a warehouse.
agents, the Death Walker himself gains a Horror Factor of 10, +1
for every one zombie or mummy under his command, including A good or selfish aligned Death Walker is an aberration.
Monster Zombies and Night Walkers, or ten animated dead. The Despite his good intentions, a good Death Walker finds it very
minions have their own Horror Factors, as well, but for simplici- difficult to gain trust when he is surrounded by his zombies.
ty's sake, just roll a single saving throw against the Horror Factor He may have to limit his use of the undead to desperate situa-
listed here. tions. Another tactic is to hide his servants with thick clothing
8. Initial Spell Knowledge: In addition to the special abili- or full environmental body armor. Even then more than a few
ties listed above, the Death Walker knows the following spells: people will be suspicious of the Death Walker's quiet friends.
Aura of Death, Animate Body Parts (new), Assemble Bones O.C.C. Skills:
(new), Bone and Joint Bonding (new), Command Ghouls, Language: Dragonese and one of choice at 90%.
Command Vampires (new), Crawling Bones (new), Eyes of the Lore: Demons and Monsters (+20%)
Dead (new), Grip of Death (new), Hide Among the Dead (new), Lore: D-Bee (+15%)
and Ignite Fire. Additional magic can be learned as usual with the Basic Math (+20%)
same restrictions as the Necromancer. However, the Death Wilderness Survival (+5%)
Walker rarely learns more than a handful of additional spells Skin and Prepare Animal (and humanoid) Hides and Bones
since he prefers to rely on his undead servants to carry out his (+15%)
W.P. Knife, W.P. One of choice.
Hand to Hand Combat must be selected as an "other" skill.
Hand to Hand Combat: Basic counts as one skill selection,
Expert counts as two, and Assassin (or Martial Arts, if good)
counts as three.

83

O.C.C. Related Skills: Select six skills at level one, plus one Death Walker Experience Table

additional skill at levels 3, 6, 9 and 13. 1 0,000-2,250

Communications: Any 2 2,251 -4,500

Cowboy: None 3 4,501 - 9,050

Domestic: Any (+5%) 4 9,051 - 18,100

Electrical: None 5 18,101 - 27,200

Espionage: Disguise and Intelligence only (+10%). 6 27,201 - 37,000

Mechanical: None 7 37,001-51,500

Medical: First Aid or Holistic Medicine only (+5%). 8 51,501 - 72,500

Military: None 9 72,501 - 98,000

Physical: Any, except Acrobatics, Boxing, or Wrestling. 10 98,001 - 138,000

Pilot: Any, except Robots and Power Armor, Tanks and APCs, 11 138,001 - 188,000

or any aircraft. 12 188,001 - 232,000

Pilot Related: Any 13 232,001 - 280,500

Rogue: Any (+7%) 14 280,501 - 345,500

Science: Any (+5%) 15 345,501 -425,000

Technical: Any (+10% to Lore, Literacy, and Language Murder-Mage O.C.C.

skills).
Weapon Proficiencies: Any

Wilderness: Any (+2%) "I had never seen anything like it before. One by one, four
Secondary Skills: Select two Secondary Skills at level one, plus knights were torn to pieces right before my eyes by a single man.
Maybe "man" is not the word. This being was like a passage of
one additional at levels 2, 4, 7, 10 and 14 from those listed murderous poetry in motion. Every strike it made was smooth and
excluding those marked "None". These are additional areas of swift. With one open hand strike, it shattered my best friend's
knowledge that do not get the advantage of the bonuses listed armor like a fine vase dropped on a hard floor. Another of my
in parentheses. All Secondary Skills start at the base skill allies ran to his aid, but was cut down by a kick delivered with
level.

Standard Equipment: One robe or cloak, a set of clothing, work the grace of a ballerina. The two remaining warriors double
gloves, a couple of large sacks, a backpack, several hundred teamed the creature. I knew their skill in swordplay was

yards/meters of linen strips, 1D4 large linen sheets, 2D6 can- unmatched. Their opponent was unarmed. The battle should have

dles, incense, a good lighter or box of matches, sleeping bag, been quick and decisive. It was. One laid out with his blood soak-
utility belt, a canteen or waterskin, sunglasses, air filter or gas ing into the earth. The other had his heart torn out with a single
mask, several sewing needles and a lot of surgical thread, a blow. Still beating in its hand, the being raised the heart to its
laser scalpel and set of conventional scalpels, one week worth mouth and consumed it in two bites. It walked back to my best

of food rations, and some personal items. friend who was still too dazed to escape. In a single move, the

Weapons include one silver-plated dagger and two light beast broke my friend's neck and let him drop to the ground. In

weapons of choice. He prefers to rely on his servants for pro- the midst ofall that bloodshed, the creature raised its arms to the
tection. Body armor can be any light style, except for full sky and released the most primal scream I had ever heard. All

environmental or those made mostly of metal. He also has around it swirled faint wisps of energy, which then spiraled

1D4 extra suits in storage. These are battered (-30% M.D.C.), toward it. Before my eyes, the creature actually looked to be get-

salvaged suits that are intended for use by his undead minions. ting stronger from the experience.
Vehicle can be any light land vehicle, a dead horse or Then, it turned its gaze towards me. I continued to sit and

other dead riding animal of choice. A true undead riding crea- watch the beast, my legs still pinned beneath the wreckage that
ture may be created later. Most high level Death Walkers was our ATV and mobile home. I had plenty of E-clips, but no
enjoy riding a platform, carried by animated dead and zom- weapons within reach. Not that it would do me any good, help-
bies. less as I was. Granted, it caught us offguard and myfriends were
Money: 2D6xlOOO credits and 2D6xlOOO credits worth of black still as disoriented as I was by the crash, but I still knew this
market items to start. Death Walkers usually have little need beast was the most skilled killer I had ever seen. It hovered over

for money since their minions provide most of their labor me. I stared directly into the slits in its face mask. The beast

needs. would kill me, but it would not kill my spirit. It raised its hand to
Cybernetics: None to start and most will avoid cybernetics like shoulder level and I still stared as I waited for the death blow.
Instead, it lifted its visor to reveal a perfectly human face
the plague. Only bio-systems for medical purposes will be beneath. I was shocked. The revelation that a human could inflict
considered.

such damage with only its bare hands and be so cruel knocked

the courage from my face. A sinister smile graced its all too

human features. Then, it replaced its visor and simply walked

away. Perhaps seeing the fear on my face was satisfying enough

for its twisted cravings. Of course, I was still trapped beneath a

ton of steel in the middle of the desert. Maybe that's why it let me

go. Its need for dispensing pain was satisfied by the knowledge

that I would suffer a very slow and agonizing death."

- Last journal entry of Lucas Scott, Knight ofCamelot

84

Without a doubt, the darkest and most foul aspect of Regardless, the act of murder must be carried out in person,
Necromancy is the practice of killing another being in order to preferably with his bare hands. Poisoning a victim's food or a
steal its power. Death releases a great deal of energy from the liv- shooting him from long distance will not suffice. The blood of
ing; a creature's P.P.E. doubles at the moment of death. This ener- the victim must be on the potential Murder-Mage's hands.
gy is the fuel for powerful magic and those who practice it. The
power released by living creatures is so sweet to many If he passes the test and still desires to continue, the student is
Necromancers that it is literally intoxicating. So much so, that the put through a punishing training session to get him toughened up,
act of murder itself brings the Necromancer extreme pleasure and physically, mentally, and spiritually. All day long, he must prac-
joy, comparable to that of a drug high. Repeated acts of murder tice the fighting arts and learn how to kill without weapons. His
increase his craving for power and pushes him to add even more hands, feet, and other parts of his body are hardened by striking
victims to his count. Most Necromancers and many wizards have them against living trees, slabs of meat, and/or restrained humans
turned to the sacrifice of living creatures as a source of addition- or D-Bees. A taste for raw meat and organs must be developed as
al power, but still rely primarily on their own energy and the that is all he will be given and allowed to eat. Even water cannot
power of ley lines. However, one mage has emerged who draws be used to quench his thirst, only blood. Between practice, the
apprentice is taught all the secrets of how best to kill a victim or
upon this energy as his main source of power. This bloodthirsty opponent. This includes a familiarity with the various intelligent
being is known to the world as the Murder-Mage. species and their anatomy. At night, all thoughts must be focused
on death and murder, as he meditates for hours in the freezing
Called "the easy path to power" by many of the scholarly cold or next to a blistering bonfire. Even his dreams will be
Necromantic practitioners of magic, the Murder-Mage is dedicat- infested with dark thoughts and nightmares, aided by hallucino-
ed wholly to the acquisition of power by taking it from other gens and other mind-altering drugs. Only after months of this
beings. While many think this road is easy, an apprentice of this preparation will he be allowed to learn the dark mystic arts,
dark magic must go through quite a bit to become a true Murder- which he must master quickly or be cast aside.
Mage. First, it must be determined if he has what it takes to carry
out the grim business of murder. This test can be something small After more months of mystic training and continued physical
and personal, like killing a loved one or one's own family, or toughening, the budding Murder-Mage is ready for the ultimate
something more large scale, like slaughtering an entire village. test, The Ritual of First Blood. Here it is discovered if the soon-

85

to-be Murder-Mage has truly mastered the mystic art. With a sin- damage (i.e. standard S.D.C. damage as M.D.) since it is intend-
gle blow, he is expected to plunge his hand into a helpless victim ed to be a killing attack. It may not be used against S.D.C. beings;
and remove the heart or brain, whole and intact. A flawed that is the purpose of the conventional Death Blow. Also note that
removal that damages the organ means the student has not mas- the Death Strike cannot be used in conjunction with any other
tered the art and must undergo more rigorous toughening and magic attack, such as the Fist of Fury or the magic spell also
retraining. If the second attempt is a failure as well, the disciple called the Death Strike.
is cast out into the wilderness, condemned as just a common mur-
derer, unfit to become a true Murder-Mage. The rejection is so Beings who already have supernatural strength or can other-
traumatic to the apprentice that he devolves into a mindless wise inflict Mega-Damage with their bare hands do not have to
killing machine bent on earning enough kills to regain his posi- rely on the Death Strike to kill M.D.C. beings, but can still inflict
tion. These rejects are never reaccepted and are usually slain by the M.D. Death Blow. The attack inflicts double the character's
another predator or a hero trying to stop his rampage. Should the usual M.D. damage and also cannot be regenerated for 1D4
apprentice succeed in the test, the victim's P.P.E. will flood his hours. This strike also only takes one melee attack, instead of the
body and he will have his first taste of the "true" power of the standard two. It cannot be used on non-living materials to inflict
Murder-Mage. Only then does he become a true Murder-Mage; double damage nor can it be used on S.D.C. creatures (not that
an event he celebrates by consuming the removed organ. they'd survive a Mega-Damage attack anyway). The attack can
be made to affect creatures who are invulnerable to Death Blow
Usually armed with only his bare hands, the Murder-Mage is attacks, such as vampires, by spending 5 P.P.E.
a truly evil creature. Although still physically mortal, his power
and cruelty is much closer to that of a supernatural predator. His 2. Consume Life Force: After delivering the fatal death
regard for life is nil. Death is a resource to be plundered and mur- blow, the Murder-Mage automatically channels his victim's life
der is his method of doing so. Other intelligent beings are the force into his own body to increase his power. Aside from the
source of this bounty and the targets of his deadly intentions. surge of the doubled P.P.E. of the victim, the Murder-Mage also
Their souls becomes his. His lifeblood was once theirs. His life gains experience points. This increase is in addition to any
only has value when it's stolen from someone else. awarded by the G.M., if any is awarded, for delivering the kill.
This is how the Murder-Mage gained the reputation for being the
Although still rare, the number of Murder-Mages has steadily easy way to power. However, while this does allow a young
grown over the years. They operate primarily in the African con- Murder-Mage to rise very quickly, he will find it very difficult to
tinent, the southern parts of Europe, western Asia, the Magic maintain his rapid rate of advancement. This is because his
Zone of North America, and scattered in much smaller numbers requirements increase dramatically after achieving mid-level
on every other continent. Both the leaders at the NCR and the experience. Many Murder-Mages peak at seventh or eighth level
city of Dweomer of the Federation of Magic have expressed and those who do try to move further are killed as they try to
growing concern about these Necromancers. The fear is that they slaughter whole communities defended by militias or powerful
will eventually grow to numbers that will send an army of heart- champions. Almost no Murder-Mages are known to reach tenth
less murderers marching into helpless towns and settlements. For level. See the Murder-Mage experience level table to see how
now, the Murder-Mages are small enough in number so as not to difficult things get. Also take note of the dramatic increase in
cause great distress, but they are still under vigilant observation. P.P.E. and other bonuses gained at new levels. While animals,
alien and domestic, can be killed for their increased P.P.E., they
Magic Powers of the Murder-Mage will not offer any additional experience to the Murder-Mage.
Only sentient creatures and true creatures of magic killed with
1. Death Strike: The most important weapon the Murder- one's own hands will offer additional experience. Experience
Mage has is his own ability to deliver the killing blow. Through gained with each kill is as follows:
physical training and in-depth study of pressure points and weak
spots, he has learned how to deliver the conventional Death Blow • Normal humans and D-Bees - 250 experience points.
as revised in Rifts® Japan or Coalition War Campaign™, but • Human and D-Bee babies and children (they have more P.P.E.
it only costs one melee attack to use, rather than the usual two.
Through mystic training, he has learned to deliver an even than average adults) - 350 experience points.
stronger blow that will harm even Mega-Damage and supernatu- • War veterans, assassins, and those who are familiar with death
ral creatures. This is similar to the Chi M.D. Death Blow or
M.D.C. creature Death Blow described in the aforementioned - 500 experience points.
books, but with the following modifications. • Mortal practitioners of magic - 750 experience points, plus 10

The Mega-Damage Death Blow costs 5 P.P.E. to inflict and is per level of the victim.
spent only if the blow connects. The desire to kill must be clear • Necromancers and practitioners of Necromancy (yes, they
in the Murder-Mage's mind; no other thoughts must interfere.
The strike must be delivered with the Murder-Mage's own body. prey on their own) - 1000 experience points, plus 20 per level
Weapons cannot be used, although gloves or gauntlets may be of the victim.
worn. The attack counts as one melee attack and inflicts M.D. • Lesser supernatural creatures, like Brodkil and Gargoyles -
equal to double the character's normal S.D.C. damage. The Death 1200 experience points.
Blow is so devastating that the victim cannot bio-regenerate the • Supernatural creatures and creatures of magic, like dragon
damage inflicted by it for 1D4 hours. The attack is effective even hatchlings - 2,000 experience points.
against vampires and other invulnerable beings. It will also work • Codlings, adult dragons, and other greater supernatural crea-
against inanimate M.D.C. structures and materials, but at half tures - 10,000 experience points (a rarity).
• Gods and supernatural intelligences - 80,000 experience points
(G.M.s and players, please note that this should never happen
and is only listed here as a reference).

86

3. Strength of the Dead: After consuming a victim's life one point from both his M.A. attribute and his P.B. attribute.
force, the Murder-Mage can immediately use the released P.P.E. Minimum M.A. or P.B. attribute is 2. Roll on the Necromancer
to increase his own S.D.C. or M.D.C. The effects are identical to insanity table found on page 104 of Rifts® Africa or page 91 of
the Necromantic spell of the same name, giving the Murder- Rifts® Mystic Russia™ at each level of experience, starting at
Mage half the base S.D.C. and Hit Points (or M.D.C., if the vic- level two.
tim was an M.D.C. creature) that the being had in life. If the
Murder-Mage is an M.D.C. being and his victim was S.D.C., he Murder-Mage O.C.C.
only adds half the victim's Hit Points (not S.D.C.) to his M.D.C.
Duration is an expanded 10 minutes per level of the Murder- (N.P.C. Villain and Optional Player Character)
Mage or until depleted. P.P.E. cost is 20 P.P.E. or whatever was
released by the death of the victim, whichever is lower. The Also known as: The Agent of Death or Soul-Eater.
magic takes one melee action to use. Alignment Restrictions: Diabolic! Miscreant characters are
acceptable, but even they would find it difficult to carry out all
4. Consume Power and Knowledge: Rather than gaining the senseless killing that the Murder-Mage indulges in. Aberrant
increased damage capacity from the victim, the Murder-Mage Murder-Mages are even rarer. These honorable killers prey pri-
can steal knowledge and power from it instead. The effects are marily on criminals and evil supernatural creatures. Anarchist or
identical to the Necromantic spell of the same name, requiring better alignments are impossible.
the Murder-Mage to consume one of the victim's organs to work Attribute Requirements: M.E. 12, P.S. 10, P.P. 10, and P.E. 12
the magic. Duration is the same as listed in the spell description, or higher. The higher the better for these attributes and a high I.Q.
but P.P.E. cost is only 10 or whatever was released by the death and Spd are recommended, but not required.
of the victim, whichever is lower. The magic takes one melee Race Restrictions: Humans and D-Bees only. M.D.C. D-Bees
action to use and each power gained counts as a separate use,
even if the Murder-Mage eats more than one organ at a time. are acceptable, but supernatural creatures and creatures of
magic cannot become Murder-Mages.
5. Horror Factor: Like the Necromancer, the Murder-Mage Player Character Note: Not recommended as a player charac-
exudes an aura of death and evil, but his is even stronger. Initial ter! The Murder-Mage is an evil being who must prey upon
other beings for his powers. Outwardly, they appear to be
Horror Factor is 12 at level one, +1 at levels 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11 and vicious beasts who beat their victims to death. But close
14. inspection of their handiwork will show well-placed strikes
with surgical precision. In truth, the Murder-Mage is an artist
6. Initial Spell Knowledge: Although well versed in the who delivers death with grace and skill. Whether or not the
mystic arts, the Murder-Mage is not interested in learning a great Murder-Mage is allowed as a player character is entirely up to
deal of spell magic. He starts with the Necromantic spells of the G.M. If allowed, the player will have to keep in mind that
Death Strike (different from his own power), Death's Embrace his good-aligned comrades will not tolerate his murderous
(new), Death Bolt (new), Necro-Armor (new), and Deathword, habits. It is possible to hide these practices from them, but is
and the conventional spells, Magical-Adrenal Rush and difficult considering his penchant for killing opponents with
Superhuman Strength. New spells can be learned as usual, but his bare hands. It is also possible for a Murder-Mage to go
common spell magic is cast at twice the normal P.P.E. cost, unless through a change of heart and reconsider his evil ways. This is
associated with Necromancy. See Rifts® Mystic Russia™ for a rare event considering the rigorous indoctrination he must go
details on the new Necromantic spells. through, but may be possible for a player character. The main
drawback to being a good-aligned Murder-Mage is that he
7. P.P.E.: Beginning P.P.E. is low compared to other practi- must work extra hard to rise in experience.
tioners of magic, 4D6 plus the P.E. attribute number. However, he O.C.C. Skills:
gains much more P.P.E. as he increases in experience, 5D6 per Language and Literacy: Two of choice (+35%).
each additional level of experience. This is because he gains Math: Basic (+20%)
much of his experience and power from his victims. In addition, Interrogation Techniques (+20%)
he also draws a great deal of temporary P.P.E. from his victims. Boxing
Stolen P.P.E. can be spent immediately on magic or held for up to Gymnastics
two hours per every one of the Murder-Mage's P.E. attribute Body Building
points; twice as long as other mages. P.P.E. can also be drawn Running
from ley lines, nexus points, and P.P.E. batteries as usual. Prowl (+15%)
Biology (+10%)
8. Magic and Other Bonuses: +15 S.D.C. (or +5 M.D.C.) at Preserve Food (+10%)
every level of experience, starting at level one, +1 to PS. and +2 Skin and Prepare Animal Hides (+15%)
to Spd at levels 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 14, +1 to P.P. and P.E. at levels Lore: D-Bee (+15%)
2, 5, 8 and 13, +1 to save vs magic at levels 1, 3, 6, 9 and 14, +1 Lore: Demons and Monsters (+10%)
to Spell Strength at levels 4, 8 and 13, +4 to save vs Horror Factor W.P.: Two Ancient of choice.
at level one, and +1 to save at levels 3, 5, 8 and 13, +1 to save vs Hand to Hand Combat: Assassin; can be upgraded to Hand to
psionics at levels 2, 5, 8, 11 and 15, +1 to initiative at levels 1, 2, Hand Combat: Commando (See Coalition War Machine™
5, 9 and 14, +1 to damage at levels 1, 3, 5, 8 and 14, +1 to strike, for details) at the cost of one "other" skill selection.
parry, and dodge at levels 1, 3, 7, 11 and 15, and +1 to save vs O.C.C. Related Skills: Select four skills at level one, plus one
mind control and possession at levels 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14. additional skill at levels 3, 5, 8 and 13.
Communications: Any
9. Penalties and Insanities: Not surprisingly, the Murder-
Mage suffers from some psychological problems. In addition, the
process of consuming the life force of other beings takes its toll
on his own soul and body. At each level of experience, he loses

87

Cowboy: None Warborn O.C.C.
Domestic: Any
Electrical: None "Victory is all important. Though we have taught you that war
Espionage: Any (+5%) is ultimately self-defeating, victory is still the goal. How can this
Mechanical: Basic only. be if war by its nature has no victor? Those amateurs who com-
Medical: First Aid (+5%) or Pathology (+10%) only. monly send their people off to war do so for the sake of some
Military: Any (+5%) other goal. Be it land, religious beliefs, or simple hatred, these
Physical: Any (+10% where applicable). fools take up arms in a futile attempt to gain something else. We
Pilot: Any, except Robots and Power Armor, Tanks and APCs, do not. For us, war is its own reward. Whether we fight in it our-
and Jet Aircraft. selves or simply goad others into fighting it for us, our one ulti-
Pilot Related: Any mate goal is to create as much conflict and destruction as possi-
Rogue: Any (+10%) ble. Our sole reason for going to war is for the sake of war itself.
Science: Any We do not fight for any other reward than the satisfaction that
Technical: Any (+10% to Lore and Language skills). war has been waged. And that is why we are always victorious."
Weapon Proficiencies: Any
- A common teaching among the Warborn
Wilderness: Any (+5%)
Secondary Skills: Select three Secondary Skills at level one, The Warborn is a brutal and violent warrior, trained in both the
physical and metaphysical arts. He is a master of both magic and
plus one additional at levels 2, 4,7, 10 and 14 from those list- technology. Unlike the Techno-Wizard who combines the two
ed, excluding those marked "None". These are additional together, the Warborn uses magic to command technology and
areas of knowledge that do not get the advantage of the bonus combine it with his own body. The only limitation to this power
listed in parentheses. All Secondary Skills start at the base is that the technology in question must have been forged for the
skill level. sole purpose of warfare. Born in the aftermath of the defeat of the
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from a small sect of their wor-
Standard Equipment: Starts with a set of regular clothing, a shipers, the Warborn is a fierce warrior and mage, dedicated to
set of combat clothes (often the preserved skin of his victims), the Horseman, War. In fact, the name "Warborn" was selected to
utility belt, canteen, survival knife, a backpack, sleeping bag, bag symbolize that these mages are the spawn of War. A student of
of rock salt, several pouches of preserving spices, 50 feet (15.2 this art is trained from an early age to be an unstoppable fighting
m) of strong rope, a roll of duct tape, a flashlight, and some per- machine. Physical training and practice in the use of weapons are
sonal items. Anything else he may need is likely to be taken from augmented and enhanced by the study of magic, most of which
his victims. has been derived from the abilities of their patron.

Light or medium body armor will be preferred, but must Warborn are a rare breed. Potential Warborn have high attrib-
be non-environmental and made of materials other than metal. ute requirements, due to the intense training that goes into build-
Armor made from M.D.C. leathers and bones is likely to be ing this warrior mage. This keeps the O.C.C.'s popularity low
acquired later. Starts with one silver-plated dagger for cere- and their numbers in check. Acolytes who do not meet the
monial killings and one other ancient style weapon of choice. requirements, but still want to dedicate themselves to war and the
Additional weapons are likely to be acquired later from fallen War entity can still study the ways of the Warborn, although at a
opponents or victims. The Murder-Mage prefers to use his much lower level of power. These acolytes are known as the
bare hands and magic in combat, but may use Techno-Wizard Warbabies, described elsewhere.
and modern weapons if it seems sensible.
Those who do make the cut move on to learn the ways of the
Starts without transportation, but is likely to acquire some Warborn. This training includes intense physical exercise,
later. instruction in the use of all forms of weaponry, and schooling in
Money: Starts with 2D4xlOO credits and !D4xlOOO credits the traditional arts of war. Techniques taught include modern
worth of saleable items or precious stones. Additional money warfare, hand to hand combat, and snapshooting skills. The
will be taken from later victims. physical training is similar to modem armed forces' basic train-
Cybernetics: Starts with none and will avoid them at all costs. ing, but much more intense, even more so than that taught to spe-
Only cybernetics for medical reasons will be considered and cial forces. In addition, the student is forced to witness the hor-
bio-systems will be preferred. rors of war, like seeing bodies blown across the landscape, in not-
so-simulated combat. Only after surviving all of this will the
Murder-Mage Experience Table training move on to the mystic arts. The other training continues
during this period along with teachings involving the philoso-
1 0,000-2,750 phies behind war and combat. This is done to make sure they
understand the true value and complexities of war. They are
2 2,751 - 5,500 taught not only how to wage war, but to provoke others to create
it as well. In addition, they are taught the techniques of warmon-
3 5,501 - 10,500 gering and how to rally troops behind a lost cause. The true key
to war, they teach, is to make others believe in the cause, despite
4 10,501 - 20,400 the blatant futility of it all.

5 20,401 - 40,800 After enduring full training, the Warborn is ready for action
and unleashed upon the world. Found mostly in Africa, these
6 40,801 - 82,500

7 82,501 - 155,000

8 155,001-245,000

9 245,001 - 350,000

10 350,001 - 460,000 13 850,001 - 1,100,000

11 460,001 - 650,000 ™ 1,100,001 - 1,400,000

12 650,001 - 850,000 15 1,400,001 - 1,750,000

88

89

warrior mages have moved on to taint the Americas, Atlantis, and after linking to the machine, the Warborn will be able to diagnose
Asia. The scarce few Warborn who can be found in South problems with the machine with a skill proficiency of 93%.
America are scattered all across the continent trying to instigate Repairs can also be done at 80% proficiency or with a bonus of
even more violence in that region of smoldering conflict. A num- +35% to the appropriate skill, whichever is higher.
ber of those in North America have joined Alistair Dunscon and
his "true" Federation of Magic. The noble factions of the 2. Power Weapons: When linked to an energy weapon, the
Federation worry that they may bring the region to war much Warborn can use his own P.P.E. to refuel them when their E-clips
sooner than is inevitable. The Lords of Magic in Dweomer are run dry. Every energy blast that inflicts 4D6 M.D. or less that is
already considering action, since the Warborn is an even (possi- powered by the Warborn costs him one P.P.E. point. Energy blasts
bly superior) match for their Battle Magi and Controllers. In that inflict more than 4D6 M.D. cost 2 P.P.E. points. S.D.C. non-
Atlantis, the Warborn have become very popular in the arena as energy weapons can be reloaded in this way, but the bullets are
combatants. Lord Splynncryth has already hired several for mis- replaced with telekinetic rounds that inflict 1D6 M.D. and cost 1
sions where he would prefer to remain anonymous. In Asia, a P.P.E. per round. Most rail guns can also be reloaded in this way,
large number of Warborn led by their high level master have gone but the cost is four P.P.E. per burst. Super rail guns, such as the
in search of Sun-Tzu, who they believe is an ancient god of war. Glitter Boy Boom Gun, require 8 P.P.E. per burst. Missile and
They believe he holds all the ancient secrets of war and has the grenade launchers cannot be reloaded in this manner, nor can
power to return the Horseman of the Apocalypse, War, back to crossbows or other bow weapons. Techno-Wizard weapons
Earth (not true, or is it?).
which are normally fueled by P.P.E. are recharged in the conven-
Powers and Abilities of the Warborn tional manner.

1. Union with Weapons: Like War himself, the Warborn can This power can charge ancient style weapons with magic,
use magic to link himself directly to his weapons. The bond is enabling them to inflict Mega-Damage. The cost is 5 P.P.E. per
eerie to see as the weapon physically merges into the hand of the weapon. Damage is equal to the amount of S.D.C. damage the
mage. The link provides him with enhanced skill with the weapon would normally inflict. Duration is twenty minutes per
weapon and allows him to use his other powers on it. Hand-held level of experience.
weapons need only be in hand for the power to be used. Cost to
link with it is 5 P.P.E. Two-handed weapons, like rifles, can be Body armor can also be energized using this power. This costs
linked to each hand, but only one can be fired at a time. Large 10 P.P.E. and charges the armor with an energy field that effec-
two-handed weapons can be linked to one hand, but the other tively doubles its M.D.C. (maximum additional M.D.C. is 100).
must be free to handle it. There is a penalty of -2 to strike when Power armor can be enhanced with a force field with 100 M.D.C.
using a large two-handed weapon with one hand. Large, two- Duration is ten minutes per level of experience. Larger vehicles
handed ancient weapons must also be used in this way. The dura- cannot be reinforced. However, a vehicle that requires fuel can be
tion of the link is effectively unlimited, although he must deacti- recharged at the cost of 30 P.P.E. per hour of use. Similarly,
vate it in order to regain full use of his hand. exoskeletons that require recharging can be re-energized by
spending 10 P.P.E. per hour of use and can also be reinforced with
Body armor can also be linked to the Warborn. In this case, the the same energy field that body armor can.
armor must be worn to use the power. The power of the link
reshapes the armor to conform to the contour's of the Warborn's 3. Mastery of Weapons: The Warborn's skill with hand-held
body. So tight is the fit, that the armor becomes like a second weapons increases dramatically while linked to them. This is an
skin. Any movement or prowl penalties the armor usually has are automatic ability gained through his union with his weapons and
reduced to zero. This power also works on power armor, but in provides the Warborn with the following skills. All are in addi-
this case the armor does not conform to the Warborn's body. tion to bonuses from W.P. skills:
Instead, he gains the benefits of one additional attack per melee,
an additional bonus of+1 to strike with all weapon systems, and W.P. Sharpshooting Specialties: The same as listed in Rifts®
the ability to pilot it at Elite proficiency, even if he doesn't ordi- Conversion Book One or Rifts® New West™, except that it
narily have the skill with that armor. A link with a robot or mili- only applies to weapons the Warborn is linked to. Only weapons
tary vehicle provides the Warborn with the ability to pilot it at that can be used with the Sharpshooting skill apply (no heavy
88% proficiency or Elite level, if a robot vehicle, and an addi- weapons) and all trick shots are possible. These bonuses are in
tional bonus of +1 to strike with the vehicle's weapon systems. addition to those gained from Weapon Proficiency skills.
The mage must be sitting in the pilot's seat for this power to
work. Cost for bonding with body armor is 5 P.P.E. Bonding with Quick-Draw Initiative: Any weapon linked to the Warborn,
power armor or exoskeletons requires 10 P.P.E. Robots and other including heavy weapons and ancient types, can be drawn and
vehicles require 20 P.P.E. Maximum duration is one hour per used with great speed. This translates into a bonus to initiative
level of experience. Other circumstances, such as sleep or bath- when using these weapons, similar to that of the Gunslinger
room breaks, may shorten that duration dramatically since the O.C.C.s: +1 to initiative for every two P.P. points above 16
link is broken as soon as the Warborn removes the armor or gets (Maximum bonus is +7 with a P.P. of 30 or higher). Remember,
up from the pilot's seat. this skill only applies when using weapons which the mage is
linked to. Of course, unless the Warborn is already linked to his
The link also provides him with intimate knowledge of the weapons, he will not receive this bonus if put on the defensive,
war machine's inner workings. Every aspect of the machine will but since he usually instigates most of his battles this is rarely a
be etched into the Warborn's mind, similar in manner to the problem.
Telemechanics psi-power. For one hour per level of experience
Paired Weapons: When linked to a pair of pistols or one-hand-
ed ancient weapons, the mage gains the ability to use both simul-
taneously. Skill with paired ancient weapons is the same as
described in the hand to hand combat section of the Rifts® RPG.
A pair of pistols can be fired simultaneously against one target,

90

inflicting full damage from both, but counting as only one melee will make him attack the instigator without hesitation. Additional
attack with one strike roll. Alternately, the guns can be fired at bonuses while enraged are: +1 to strike and +2 to damage.
two separate targets at the same time, but each shot must be rolled
separately and the bonus to strike is half. Parrying is not possible 16-30: Affective Disorder: hates music and music makers.
when a paired strike is used, but a dodge can still be attempted Anyone or anything playing music within earshot of the Warborn
(often followed by a double shot counterattack). will find itself attacked by the mage. Only the sound of his own
war cry soothes the Warborn, who may overindulge in its use.
Other Bonuses: In addition to other bonuses, the Warbom
gains the following bonuses with weapons he is linked to: +1 31-40: Psychosis: Schizophrenia. He hears voices shouting
attack per melee at levels 3, 6 and 10, +1 to strike on "called" different conflicting ideas at him. At times, it seems like a full-
shots with modern weapons at levels 1, 4, 8 and 13, +1 to strike, fledged shouting war is going on right in his head. 1D4 times a
parry, and disarm with ancient style weapons at levels 1, 3, 5, 7, day, he will be engulfed in a war of words that he cannot escape.
10 and 14, and +1 to disarm with modern weapons with a There is a 25% chance that the Warborn will lash out blindly at
"called" shot at levels 1,4,7,11 and 15. Remember, these bonus- the voices, doing great damage to anything in the vicinity in the
es only apply to weapons the Warborn is currently linked to. process.

4. War Cry: The Warborn exudes an aura that makes others 41-50: Psychosis: mindless aggression. Identical to the
feel edgy and uncomfortable. If the Warborn has a high M.A. description in the insanity section of the Rifts® RPG.
attribute, this aura will add a bonus of +10% to his intimidation
skill. Even more potent is his ability to augment this aura into a 51-65: Roll once on the phobia table in the Rifts® RPG.
66-80: Roll once on the obsession table in the Rifts® RPG.
weapon of fear. By screaming a short arcane verse, the aura
explodes into an unnerving omni-directional pulse. Everyone 81-90: Multiple Personalties. See the Crazy Hero section of
within the sound of the Warborn's voice, about 800 feet (243.8 the Rifts® RPG for details and to determine the catalyst for
m), must save vs Horror Factor of 11, +1 at levels 2,4, 7, 10 and switching personalities.
14, or suffer the usual penalties. This attack can be used as often
as needed without P.P.E. cost, but each counts as one melee 91-00: Frenzy! See the Crazy Hero section of the Rifts® RPG
attack. for details and to determine the catalyst of the frenzy.

5. Initial Spell Knowledge: The Warborn starts with the fol- Warborn O.C.C.
lowing spells: Armor of Ithan, Aura of Power, Magic Shield, Fist
of Fury, Death Bolt (new), Superhuman Strength, Power Weapon, (N.P.C. Villain and Optional Player Character)
and three offensive spells from levels 1-5 from either the com-
mon spell listings or the Necro-Magic listing. New spells can be Also known as: The Children or Spawn of War.
learned as usual. Offensive and defensive spells are most covet- Alignment Restrictions: Any, but the vast majority are
ed with augmentation and transportation spells being next in line. Anarchist or evil. Those who are Anarchist are true anarchists,
Spells which are not combat oriented or otherwise relatable to drumming up discord and chaos wherever they go. Warborn of
war and fighting require twice the listed P.P.E. cost and are cast good alignment are next to nonexistent, but there are a few.
at half proficiency. See Rifts® Mystic Russia™ for details on Attribute Requirements: M.A. 12, M.E. 11, P.S. 11, P.P. 15, and
new Necromantic spells. P.E. of 13 or higher. The higher the better for these attributes. A
high I.Q. and Spd are also suggested, but not required.
6. P.P.E.: Starts with 2D4xlO+10 P.P.E. plus the P.E. attribute Race Restrictions: No restrictions, but most (70%) are human.
number. 2D6 P.P.E. is gained at each additional level of experi-
ence. Additional P.P.E. can be drawn from ley lines, nexus points, Ogres and Wolfen are also common (15%). The rest are com-
and other beings. They most enjoy tapping the great sum of P.P.E. prised mostly of other sub-humans and lesser supernatural
released during and after a great battle. beings. Even creatures of magic and greater supernatural
beings can follow this path to magic, but rarely do so (less
7. O.C.C. Bonuses: In addition to those listed above, the fol- than 1%). These beings tend to rely on their own magic and
lowing bonuses are available with or without weapons: +!D4xlO abilities and see a dependance on weapons as a weakness.
S.D.C. or +3D6 M.D.C., +1D6 to P.S., +2 to P.P. and P.E., +1 to Player Character Note: Brutal, violent, and quick-tempered are
M.A., +1 attack per melee, +2 to initiative, +2 to strike, +3 to all words that describe the Warborn well. Whether involved in
parry and dodge, +2 to entangle, +1 to disarm, +3 to roll with a battle of wits or a test of strength, he will be very competi-
punch/impact, +1 to save vs magic at levels 3, 5, 8, 11 and 14, +1 tive and do anything to win. Cheating is always a good way to
to Spell Strength at levels 5 and 10, +4 to save vs Horror Factor win; all is fair in love and war, after all. Rules are interesting
at level one, +1 at levels 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15, impervious to shell- guidelines, but meant to be broken. Lethal force is a first resort
shock, +2 to save vs psionics, and +4 to save vs mind control or and the desired way to go. Overall, the Warborn is just a bully
possession, all in addition to skill and attribute bonuses. who likes to get things on his terms and will blow up anything
that gets between him and what he wants.
8. Insanities and Penalties: The Warborn is already a violent
maniac to begin with, but his mental stability further degrades at Player characters of good or Unprincipled alignment will
later levels of experience. At levels three, six, ten and fifteen, be nearly as competitive as evil ones, but not nearly as violent.
there is a 25% chance of developing insanity. If a 1-25 is rolled Force is used, but sparingly, and lethal force is never used.
on the percentile dice, roll again on the following table to deter- This is because Warborn are not only taught how to fight and
mine the specific ailment. wage war, but to enjoy it. This makes them very susceptible to
its violent influence, which most give in to. Good-aligned
01-15: Affective Disorder: outraged by acts of violence. Warbom are those few who manage to reject their teachings
Oddly enough, the Warborn becomes irrationally upset when and remain stable. Should a good Warborn give into his vio-
exposed to violence which he has not perpetrated himself. This lent tendencies, he will slide down the alignment ladder very
quickly.

91

O.C.C. Skills: Cybernetics: None to start and will avoid them because they

Languages: Two of choice at 90%. interfere with magic. The Warborn may use his magic to

Math: Basic (+20%) merge with technology, but he will not resort to other methods

Recognize Weapon Quality (+30%) to have it become a part of him.

Armorer (+30%)

Basic Electronics (+10%) Warborn Experience Table

Weapon Systems (+15%) 1 0,000-2,400

Intelligence (+25%) 2 2,401 - 4,800

Pilot: Two military vehicles of choice (+20%). 3 4,801-9,600

Military: Two of choice (+20%). 4 9,601 - 19,200

Sniper 5 19,201 - 28,000

W.P.: Four Modern of choice. 6 28,001 - 39,000

W.P.: Five Ancient of choice. 7 39,001 - 52,000

Hand to Hand Combat: Expert; can be upgraded to Martial 8 52,001 - 75,000

Arts or Assassin (if evil) at the cost of one "other" skill selec- 9 75,001 - 100,000

tion, or to Hand to Hand Combat: Commando for two selec- 10 100,001 - 140,000

tions. 11 140,001-200,000

O.C.C. Related Skills: Select five skills at level one, plus one 12 200,001 - 250,000
additional skill at levels 3, 7, 10 and 14. 13 250,001 - 300,000
14 300,001 - 360,000
Communications: Any 15 360,001 - 450,000
Cowboy: None

Domestic: Any

Electrical: Any, but each skill counts as two skill selections. Warbaby O.C.C.
Espionage: Any (+10%)
Mechanical: Any, but each skill counts as two skill selections.

Medical: First Aid or Field Surgery only (+10% to the latter). 'Wo? everyone can be an officer. So too is it true among the

Military: Any (+15%) Children of War that some are born to serve rather than lead.

Physical: Any, except Acrobatics (+5% where applicable). But, despite your name, do not view yourselves as inferior. That

Pilot: Any (+15% to military vehicles). you are true Children of War is proof enough ofyour superiority

Pilot Related: Any (+5%) overall thosefool enough to oppose us. For in the larger picture,

Rogue: Any we are all servants. Even those of us who stand as the elite

Science: Math: Advanced only. Children of War are mere soldiers in the battle of life and not the

Technical: Any generals we appear to be. So stand proud my brethren and let

Weapon Proficiencies: Any others concern themselves with your status. For while they laugh

Wilderness: Any at your title, they will be open for the kill. Yes, you are mere

Secondary Skills: Select two Secondary Skills at level one, plus "babies" in our order, but you are nothing less than walking

one additional at levels 2, 5, 9 and 13 from those listed, death to all others."

excluding those marked "None". These are additional areas of - A common teaching among the Warbabies

knowledge that do not get the advantage of the bonuses listed Not everyone who travels the path of the Warborn has what it

in parentheses. All Secondary Skills start at the base skill takes to become one. Actually, most of them "flunk out" of the

level. incredibly demanding training. Those who cannot complete the

Standard Equipment: Starts with a handful of personal items, training, but still wish to be disciples of War, can do so by becom-

such as a few sets of clothing, a flashlight, a backpack, 1D4 ing lesser Warborn, more commonly known as Warbabies. For

weeks of food rations, several hundred feet of rope, a survival every one Warborn, there are about two to four Warbabies.

kit, canteen, and sunglasses (prefer non-mirrored black Although the name is less than flattering, the Warbaby accepts it

shades). as a sign of his lower stature.

Initial weaponry includes: four normal ancient style Mystic training is pretty much the same as the Warborn's, but

weapons, one magic or Techno-Wizard ancient style weapon, less intensive. Magic techniques are also toned down and the

two modern S.D.C. weapons, and three energy weapons of unique powers of the Warborn are not taught. They are told that

choice. Obviously, he cannot carry all of these weapons on this is because the Warbaby is not considered worthy of the true

him at once, so some must be kept at a. safe location or in his "gifts" of war. In reality, the Warbaby simply lacks the willpow-

vehicle. Body armor can be any type, but most prefer heavy. er or stamina to undergo this training and survive intact, mental-

Unlike with other practitioners of magic, heavy, metal, full ly and/or physically. To compensate for this loss, the Warbaby is

environmental armor can be worn without penalty. taught more in the way of mechanical skills and they also devel-

Beginning vehicle can be any light military type, but most op psionic abilities that make them more in tune with the

prefer either a fast hovercycle or heavy A.T.V. Tanks, power weapons they handle. This helps them to serve as support per-

armor, robots, and/or other heavy vehicles will be acquired sonnel for the true Warborn.

later. On the other hand, skill knowledge does not need any power

Money: Starts with !D6xlOO credits and !D4xlOOO in black source to use. Even if entirely depleted of I.S.P. and P.P.E., the

market items. Most of his money has already been spent on Warbaby is still just as proficient with his weapons as ever.

weaponry. 92

Meanwhile, a Warborn who has run out of P.P.E. is fairly vulner- Powers and Abilities
able and unable to use his weapons with any special ability. Of of the Warbaby O.C.C.
course, a Warborn rarely needs to worry about such depletion on

the battlefield where fallen opponents and allies alike provide 1. Mastery of Weapons: Like the Warborn, the Warbaby is
him with a bountiful supply of energy. Still, the situation may taught advanced weapon proficiency skills. They are not as
arise sometime and that's when the Warbaby can shine. advanced as those of the Warborn, but at least the Warbaby does
not have to be linked with his weapons to gain the added skill. All
Warbabies can be found pretty much wherever the Warborn the following bonuses are in addition to those gained through
are. Experienced Warborn typically have an entourage of 2D6 W.P. skills:
Warbabies who serve as their personal army. A number of
Warbabies can also be found operating on their own just about W.P. Sharpshooting Specialties: The same as listed in Rifts®
anywhere the Warborn are. In addition, there are a number of Conversion Book One or Rifts® New West™. This ability
renegade Warbabies operating in and around these areas too. applies to two Weapon Proficiencies of choice. See the W.P.
These renegades are either trying to achieve Warborn status Sharpshooting skill description for details and the types of
through other means or have turned their backs on their teach- weapons this skill can be applied to. Select only one trick shot for
ings. A good number of Warbabies of good alignment are help- each W.P. skill.
ing Lo Fung and his allies in their struggle against the insane
Pharaoh Rama-Set. Many more are fighting against the Gargoyle Quick-Draw Initiative: Any weapon the Warbaby has the W.P.
Empire in Europe, both as heroes and simply for the sake a good Sharpshooting skill with can be drawn and used with great speed.
challenge. This translates into a bonus to initiative when using these
weapons, similar to that of the Gunslinger O.C.C.s: +1 to initia-

tive with a P.P. attribute of 14 and an additional +1 for every four

points past 14 (Maximum bonus is +5 with a P.P. of 30 or high-

er). Remember, this skill only applies when using weapons which

the Warbaby has the W.P. Sharpshooting skill with.
Other Bonuses: In addition to other bonuses, the Warbaby

gains the following bonuses when using weapons he has the W.P.

Sharpshooting skill with: +1 shooting attack per melee at levels

5 and 10, +1 to strike at levels 2, 6 and 13, and +2 to disarm with

a "called" shot. He also has the following bonuses when using

ancient weapons he is proficient with: +1 attack per melee, +1 to

initiative, +1 to strike and parry at levels 1, 3, 7, 10 and 14, and

+1 to disarm at levels 2, 5, 9 and 15.

2. Psionic Powers: Although not as good as the merging abil-

ity of the Warborn, the Warbaby does develop psionic abilities

that simulate the Warborn power of Union. Psionic abilities

include: Telemechanics, Telemechanic Mental Operation,

Computer Ghost, and Mind Block. These powers function nor-

mally, except that they can only be used on machines specifical-
ly designed for war and combat. For example, an energy rifle or
tank can be controlled with Telemechanic Mental Operation, but

not a dump truck or personal computer.

3. I.S.P.: Initial I.S.P. is !D4xlO plus the M.E. attribute num-

ber. Add 1D6+1 I.S.P. at each additional level of experience. The

Warbaby is considered to be a major psionic and requires a 12 or
higher to save against psionic attacks.

4. Initial Spell Knowledge: Although not as proficient as the

Warborn, the Warbaby does know a number of spells related to

his line of work. Initial spell knowledge includes: Armor of

Ithan, Magic Shield, Fists of Fury, Death Bolt (new), and four

offensive spells from levels 1-4 from either the common spell

listings or the Necro-Magic listing. New spells can be learned as

usual. Offensive and defensive spells are most coveted, with aug-

mentation and transportation spells being next in line. Spells

which are not combat oriented or otherwise relatable to war and

fighting require twice the listed P.P.E. cost and are cast at half

proficiency. See Rifts® Mystic Russia™ for details on new
Necromantic spells.

5. P.P.E.: Starts with !D6xlO P.P.E. plus the P.E. attribute

number. 1D6+1 P.P.E. is gained at each additional level of expe-
rience. Additional P.P.E. can be drawn from ley lines, nexus
points, and other beings.

93

6. O.C.C. Bonuses: In addition to those listed above, the fol- W.P. Energy Pistol
lowing bonuses are available with or without weapons: +4D6 W.P.: Three Ancient of choice.
S.D.C. or +2D6 M.D.C., +1 to P.S., P.P. and P.E., +1 to initiative, W.P.: One Modern of choice.
+1 to strike and parry , +2 to dodge, +1 to entangle, +3 to roll Hand to Hand Combat: Expert; can be upgraded to Martial
with punch/impact, +1 to save vs magic at levels 3, 6, 9 and 13, Arts or Assassin (if evil) at the cost of one "other" skill selec-
+1 to Spell Strength at levels 5 and 10, +2 to save vs Horror tion.
Factor at level one, +1 at levels 3, 6, 10 and 14, +4 to save vs O.C.C. Related Skills: Select four skills at level one, plus one
shell-shock, +1 to save vs psionics, and +2 to save vs mind con- additional skill at levels 3, 6, 9 and 13.
trol or possession, all in addition to skill and attribute bonuses. Communications: Any (+5%)
Cowboy: None
7. Penalties and Insanities: Other than the lower status when Domestic: Any
compared to the Warborn, the Warbaby suffers no additional Electrical: Any (+5%)
penalties or insanities. Espionage: Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment, and
Wilderness Survival only.
Warbaby O.C.C. Mechanical: Any (+10%)
Medical: First Aid or Field Surgery only (+10% to the latter).
(N.P.C. Villain and Optional Player Character) Military: Any (+10%)
Also known as: War Orphans. Physical: Any, except Acrobatics or Wrestling.
Pilot: Any (+5% to military vehicles).
Alignment Restrictions: None, but most are selfish or evil. Pilot Related: Any (+10%)
Good Warbabies are much more common than good Warborn. In Rogue: Any
fact, a leaning toward a good alignment is often one of the rea- Science: Any
sons why a Warbaby doesn't make the cut to Warborn. Technical: Any (+5% to Computer skills).
Attribute Requirements: M.E. 8, P.S. 10, P.P. 12, and P.E. of 10 Weapon Proficiencies: Any
or higher. The higher the better for these attributes. A high I.Q. Wilderness: Any
and Spd are also suggested, but not required. Secondary Skills: Select four Secondary Skills at level one, plus
Race Restrictions: No restrictions, but most (85%) are human. one additional at levels 2, 4, 7, 10 and 14 from those listed,
excluding those marked "None". These are additional areas of
Elves and Ogres are also common (10%). The rest are com- knowledge that do not get the advantage of the bonuses listed
prised mostly of other humanoid D-Bees and sub-humans. in parentheses. All Secondary Skills start at the base skill
Supernatural creatures and creatures of magic never "flunk level.
out" of Warborn training and none would ever voluntarily Standard Equipment: Starts with several sets of clothing, two
choose this path. sets of work clothes, work overalls, tool belt, mini tool kit, a
Player Character Note: Although not trained with the same full-sized tool kit, a flashlight, a backpack, 1D4 weeks of food
aggression reserved for the Warborn, the Warbaby is still rem- rations, several hundred feet of rope, a survival kit, canteen,
iniscent of a force of nature in combat. Perhaps because of and sunglasses.
resentment for not being good enough or as a belated attempt
to prove himself worthy, the Warbaby is known for fighting Initial weaponry includes: one ancient style weapon, one
with even more intensity than the Warborn. Of course without modern S.D.C. weapon, and three energy weapons of choice.
the same power to back him up, the Warbaby does not make Techno-Wizard weapons are most coveted because the
the same impact as the Warborn, but does come close. Without Warbaby can power them with his own P.P.E., much the way
question, the Warbaby is just as violent and cutthroat as the the Warborn powers his weapons. Body armor can be any
Warborn with an even greater penchant to cheat. type, but most prefer light and medium styles for maximum
mobility. Unlike the Warborn, the Warbaby cannot wear metal
A good-aligned Warbaby is seen as an even greater fail- or full environmental armor without hindering his magic.
ure than his evil brethren and is often hunted down as a train-
ing exercise. If the renegade puts up a good fight or, worse yet, Beginning vehicle can be any light military type, but most pre-
manages to get away, his pursuers usually decide that he is not fer either a fast hovercycle or heavy A.T.V. Tanks, power armor,
a complete failure and decide to let him free. The line of robots, and/or other heavy vehicles will be acquired later.
thought behind this is that the rebel will eventually embrace Money: Starts with !D6xlOO credits and 2D6xlOOO in black
his true nature and return to the fold one day. Sometimes this
market items. Most of his money has already been spent on
happens, but usually a free and noble Warbaby moves on to weaponry.
use his skills to defend the innocent and punish the guilty, Cybernetics: None to start and most will avoid them. A few may
even if the guilty include his former comrades. get one or two cybernetic implants later in life, usually senso-
O.C.C. Skills: ry or black market, but don't get any bionics since they inter-
Languages: Two of choice at 90%. fere with magic and psionics. If a lost limb or organ needs to
Math: Basic (+15%) be replaced, bio-systems will be preferred.
Recognize Weapon Quality (+20%)
Mechanical Engineer (+15%)
Weapons Engineer (+20%)
Basic Electronics (+10%)
Weapon Systems (+10%)
Read Sensory Equipment (+15%)
Military: Two of choice (+10%).
W.P. Energy Rifle

94

Warbaby Experience Table created stood before them, staring blankly with its coal black
1 0,000-2,050 eyes. The spider genes had given it unnatural stealth and strength,
2 2,051 -4,100 cold cunning, an extra set of arms, and the ability to excrete a
3 4,101 - 8,300 sticky web-like substance that was perfect for "pacification". The
4 8,301 - 16,600 human genes gave it an athlete's build and the intellect to learn
5 16,601 - 25,200 and control its power. That, at least, was the plan. After the
6 25,201 - 34,500 mutant was sterilized it was whisked away to an evaluation cen-
7 34,501 - 48,000 ter and jacked into countless machines, which all reported that
8 48,001 - 67,500 the subject was perfect in every way but one: It was an idiot.
9 67,501 - 95,000 Subject 4291203 possessed the intellect of a three-year-old
10 95,001 - 125,000 human and was unable to follow the simplest of commands. The
11 125,001 - 175,000 researchers threw up their hands in disgust, but instead of
12 175,001 - 225,000 destroying the mutant they shipped it to a menial labor camp that
13 225,001 - 275,000 was excavating a site for another new research building.
14 275,001 - 330,000
15 330,001 - 395,000 The guard stopped, smoke still curling from the muzzle of his
pistol, and stared coldly at Geek, the first slave in the chain.
Geek's ropy muscles were tight under his scaly skin as he
clenched his pickaxe. He stared back at the guard with hard eyes,
and the guard waited for any excuse to shoot him down as well.

Norr thought harder.

HIF Life was hard for subject 4291203 at the labor camp. Three
days after its arrival, its body had bloated and its athletic figure
Three Words had sagged around it like a fleshy sack. The engineers had attrib-
uted this to an unstable genetic code and ordered it put under
A Short Story by Jason Marker watch for any further unexpected mutations. This, plus its obvi-
ous mental deficiencies, made it the butt of one cruel joke after
In the blink of an eye it was over. Norr had watched Billy draw another.
the homemade bone knife from the waistband of his ragged jeans
and lunge at the CS guard. The rest happened with dreamlike The soldiers kicked it and pushed it for moving too slow. They
slowness: The knife glanced off the hard ceramic of the guard's antagonized it and tried to get it to attack them so they could get
breastplate. The faceless guard pushed Billy back into line, then rid of it. And when it made a mistake or broke one of the hun-
casually drew his sidearm and burned Billy's face away. The old dreds of rules the guards made up, they would not punish it, but
goat's corpse tumbled heavily to the ground and lay twitching at the rest of the mutants in its gang. In retaliation, the other mutants
Norr's feet. would steal its food. They would snag its chain to trip it and
abuse it all day, and then tie it to its bunk at night and terrorize it.
Another blink, and now Norr simply stood and stared at his It never flinched or struck back, or showed any reaction. It
friend's cooling body, his six eyes watching the heat slip from the thought this was the natural order of things and accepted the
old goat like a soul seeking salvation. Norr shifted the battered abuse and terror as life. And then everything changed.
hoe he carried and thought some more. Thinking was something
that took considerable effort for Norr. The faceless guard that had ***
shot Billy was approaching him now, and everything became
slow again. Norr thought harder, and remembered the past. The guard moved past Geek and stood staring at Norr, wait-
ing. Norr stared back with his blank, black eyes, not moving.
** Viscous, poisonous drool ran down his mandibles and dripped
onto his sagging gut. The guard snorted and said something deri-
sive to his fellows, their laughter ringing hollowly from their hel-
mets.

Subject 4291203 stepped from the GED vat, dripping the The goat-headed mutant that walked through the bunk house
milky Lone Star mutagen. door was so tall he had to bend almost double to avoid knocking
himself out. His limbs were long and gangly, but knotted with
The engineers were delighted that the experiment had worked. muscle. He moved like a cat and his pride and serenity were
They had never combined arachnid DNA with a human's before. almost tangible in the fetid half light of the bunkhouse. His
Now what was quite possibly the greatest espionage agent ever

95



horned head turned slowly from left to right as he took in the Months passed, and Billy took Norr under his wing. Billy pro-
motley inhabitants. Geek, who was mean and dumb and consid- tected him from the abuse of the other mutants. He shared his
ered himself the leader of the mutants, approached the newcom- food with Norr and pummeled any mutant who laid a hand on
er with a manner that was all swagger and belligerence. "I'm in him. Billy worked hard to teach Norr a few basic words, but Norr
charge here," he spat. "I give the orders and you'll be happy to could only ever manage three. The tall mutant told Norr stories in
take 'em." the dark about many things he couldn't understand. Billy spoke
of meeting "The Maker," a beautiful goddess who came to him
The goat swung his gaze around to Geek. "I take orders from bathed in a blue light and whispering secrets. She taught Billy
a higher power, mutant," he said in a strangely warbling voice. how to lead his people, the mutants, to a place called "The Den"
"Not you." where they would find paradise. Billy's eyes would fill with fire
when he spoke this way, but Norr just repeated his three words.
There was a moment of strained silence as the scales on Billy would smile a crooked smile and clap Norr on the shoulder.
Geek's face darkened. "I'll show you a higher power, goat-boy," "Yes, Norr. I am."
he hissed. He took a step backward, and then swung a plated fist
at the tall mutant's head. The goat swayed to the left like a reed ***
in a breeze and caught the incoming fist in his huge hand. A
heartbeat passed as Geek stared at the goat in surprise. Then the The soldier turned Billy over with rough hands and pulled a
goat began to squeeze. small plasma cutter from his belt. He sparked it and began to
remove the chains from the corpse. A terrible rage welled up
The other mutants flinched as they heard bones snap in Geek's inside of Norr. He had never experienced anything like it before
hand. As Geek began to squeal in pain, the goat balled his other and it confused him, as things often did, but suddenly he under-
hand into a fist and slammed Geek in the jaw. Geek's head stood something. Billy would never tell him another story again.
snapped back, black blood spraying from his mouth, and his legs Billy would never teach him another word or shelter him from the
buckled as consciousness fled. The goat let loose of Geek's hand violence in his life. Norr had only had one thing in his pitiful life,
and the big lizard crumpled into a bleeding heap at his feet. and this faceless soldier had taken it away in a heartbeat.

The bunkhouse was silent as the newcomer stepped over the With blinding speed Norr brought the hoe from his shoulder
inert body of his victim and strode to the center of the room. down on the head of the crouching soldier, shattering the handle.
Standing nearby was subject 4291203, watching the unconscious The soldier grunted and pitched face down in the dirt. A blink of
lizard's blood pooling on the floor. It slowly lifted its head as the an eye, and sadness filled Norr as oily black tears seeped from his
goat filled its vision, expecting to be attacked as well. two largest eyes. He turned on the shouting guards, clutching the
broken haft of the hoe tightly in his fists. As they raised their
The tall mutant extended his broad hand. "I am Billy," he said. rifles, Norr said his only words.
"What is your name, mutant?"
"Billy Norr friend."
Subject 4291203 stared at the goat's hand for a moment, not
understanding, and a sound escaped from between its mandibles.

"Nrrrrrr."

There was an unnerving high-pitched tittering and a leathery
sound as another mutant, the snakeman Whip, slithered up to
Billy. "Don't wathte your tiiiime," Whip lisped. "He ith an iiiid-
iot and can't thpeak. He ith uthleth." Suddenly Whip swung his
tail around and stung Subject 4291203 on its forearm with a
crack. Subject 4291203 just stared at its arm where an ugly welt
began to rise on its pasty skin, then it dropped its head and looked
at the floor.

Whip tittered again but was brought up short as the tall mutant
turned a raging glare on him. Whip shrunk back from Billy's
gaze, and suddenly felt he would be safer elsewhere. As the
mutant slithered hurriedly away, Billy turned back to Subject
4291203."It is very nice to meet you, Norr."

***

The soldier glanced once again at Norr and warily bolstered PRIVATE PR(
his sidearm. He knew the ugly mutant was dumb and harmless,
but the soldier had always had a secret fear of spiders and the TRESPASSERS WILL E
silent Norr unnerved him. He turned his back on the spider, TO THE FULL EXTEN
happy to avoid the gaze of its coal black eyes, and crouched
down to roll the dead goat over. The chains jingled as the spider
shifted its weight.

97

Rifter The Rifter™ is like a magazine because it will come out
four or five times a year (we're shooting for a regular quarterly
Subscription release schedule), and because it will feature Palladium news,
advertisements, serial articles and continuing features.
Don't become a slobbering beast driven mad because you're
afraid you'll miss an issue of The Rifter™ Subscribe and get Most importantly, The Rifter™ is a forum for Palla-
every issue delivered to your doorstep in a protective cardboard dium's Fans. At least half of each issue will be text and material
envelope. taken (with permission) from the Web, as well as fan contribu-
tions made especially for The Rifter™. We get tons of fan sub-
One Year (four issues) missions that are pretty good, but not good enough for
publication as an entire sourcebook. In other cases, the submis-
— Only $25.00 sion is something clever and cool, but only a few pages long.
There's lots of cool stuff on the Internet, but you must have a
That's right, only 25 bucks! Postage and handling included. computer and Internet access, something a lot of fans just don't
That's over 500 pages of source material, fun and inspiration for have.
an incredible bargain. Of course, every issue should be available
from fine stores everywhere — and stores need your support. The Rifler™ will reprint some of those "Web-Works™" al-
lowing fans (and the world at large) to get a glimpse of their gen-
Each issue will be 96 to 128 pages (typically the latter). ius. It is one more avenue in which fans and professionals alike
can share their visions of role-playing and the Palladium Megav-
Published quarterly with a cover price of $7.95 (a bargain at erse with other fans. It's a chance to get published, get a little
that price). cash, get your name in lights (well, in print) and have fun.

Contributing authors will include Kevin Siembieda, Eric Wu- This also means, more than any RPG publication ever pro-
jcik, Wayne Breaux Jr., Jolly Blackburn and other Palladium no- duced, The Rifter™ is yours. Yours to present and share ideas.
tables. Yours to help shape and mold. Yours to share.

What Exactly is The Rifter™? Why call it The Rifter™? Because each issue will span the
Palladium Megaverse of games, adventures and ideas. Each issue
Well, flipping through this issue should give you a fairly will publish features from people across the Web and beyond!
good idea, but every issue will be different. But mainly because each and every one of us, from game de-
signer and publisher, to Joe Gamer, traverses the Megaverse™
Really, there has never been anything like it. every time they read an RPG or play in a role-playing game. We
travel the infinite realm of the imagination, hopping from one
The Rifter is a synthesis of a sourcebook, Game Master's world to the next — building one world to the next Time and
guide, a magazine and talent show — a fan forum. space are meaningless in our imaginations as we Rift from one
place and time to another.
The Rifter™ is like a sourcebook because it will include a
ton of role-playing source material (optional and official). This Palladium Books Inc. 12455 Universal Drive
will include New O.C.C.S, NPC heroes, NPC villains, new pow-
ers and abilities, weapons, adventure settings, adventures and ad- Rifter Dept Taylor, MI 48180
venture ideas, and Hook, Line and Sinkers™.

The Rifter™ is like a GM.'s guide because it will include
special articles and tips on role-playing, how to handle common
problems, how to build an adventure and so on.

98

mentor and ally Lothar of Motherhome was missing. The shock-
wave that accompanied the supernova had sent Caleb and the
Zodoran energy leech in the same direction, but Lothar had dis-
appeared, swallowed up by the nebula that formed with the star's
death.

Where could he be? Caleb wondered. He wasn't exactly sure
where he was, and could hardly begin to guess what had hap-
pened to Lothar. As a Cosmo-Knight, Caleb possessed a kind of
sixth sense, a cosmic awareness, that was supposed to give him a
mental map of the universe and where he was within it. But either
the supernova had knocked something loose in Caleb's head or
the nebula was ruining the reception, because Caleb was just
plain lost.

The strange swirling gases and lights of the nebula were not

familiar, and he couldn't get his bearings. There should have been

The Hammer a planet or something here, right? Caleb asked himself, craning
his neck and staring at a pocket of ionizing gas. Now its just heli-
um or something.
This stinks.

ofthe Forge And then, suddenly, a circle of darkness appeared before him,
a small patch the size of a record album that expanded quickly.
Caleb lurched backward, unsure what to do, and the darkness fol-
lowed. In moments it had grown as wide as Caleb was tall, and it

By James M.G. Cannon overtook him. He screamed incoherently as the darkness
enveloped his crimson form . . .

. . . and then he crashed to the floor, flailing his limbs. "Ah,

Chapter Eight excellent," Dr. Abbot said from above, his British accent more
maddening than usual. "I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find
Pyramid Scheme you. There is still a great deal of 'cosmic static' left over from the
nova."

Atlantis is dead. Caleb levered himself to his feet and realized he was back on

Or so Clan Acherean will tell you, from their home on the bridge of Lothar's borrowed freighter. Dr. Abbot stood a few

Alexandria. Alexandria is a rough and tumble world in the outer feet away, his shadowy form indistinct beneath his battered

rim of the United Worlds of Warlock, a place where Rift storms trenchcoat and hat, except for his eyes which glowed an eerie

still occasionally rumble through the countryside despite the orange. Lothar himself was reclining in the captain's chair. Caleb

many pyramids the Achereans have built to control the magical was relieved to see the Wolfen Cosmo-Knight alive, and that his

energies of the world. Clan Acherean brought civilization to armor was just as battered and worn as Caleb's own. "What just

Alexandria, but they didn 't bring Atlantis back to life. happened?" he asked.

Atlantis was a mistake, they still contend, and its destruction "I warped space and time to recall you to the ship," Dr. Abbot

a sign of their own hubris and arrogance. They do not wish to explained. "I found Lothar first purely by chance. Is the Zodoran

recreate those days, and so they allow the wizards of the United machine destroyed?"

Worlds of Warlock to administer the daily operations that keep an Caleb nodded as if space warps were nothing new and dis-

advanced world running smoothly. The Atlanteans of Clan pelled his armor with a crimson flash. "Yeah, I wrecked it. But it

Acherean help out by monitoring the pyramids and keeping a was a pretty close thing. I was lucky to end up in its vicinity when

watch on Rift activity, but they prefer to stay out of politics. In this the explosion subsided. I'd hate to think of what would have hap-

respect they resemble the rest of the Atlantean race, scattered pened if we'd lost it in that goop."

about the Megaverse and avoiding much in the way of responsi- Lothar nodded wearily. "A grave miscalculation on my part,"

bility, but Clan Acherean is unique in that most ofthe clan resides he admitted with a growl. "It's been a long time since I last rode

on a single world, in the same dimension, living together. a supernova. But I'm glad you finished the job, pu— Caleb."

In a way, they have rebuilt Atlantis. But they 're doing it dif- Caleb couldn't help the smile that split his face at the sound of

ferently this time; trying to avoid the sins that destroyed their pre- Lothar using his given name rather than the derogatory "pup."

vious civilization. Abbot didn't miss it either. "You do care, don't you, you old

— excerpt from the unaired trideo documentary, Alexandria: softy you," he said, patting Lothar's emerald plated shoulder with

Gem of the UWW, Unicorn Entertainment Group a shadowy hand.

Lothar brushed him away with a snarl. "Don't start, Abbot."

Every muscle in his body hurt. His bones hurt. Everything He turned to Caleb. "How are you feeling?"

from toes to hair was in agony, but Caleb Vulcan, newly knight- Caleb grabbed the back of the co-pilot's seat and spun it

ed servant of the Cosmic Forge, couldn't give up yet. He had sur- around so he could sit down. "Like I just went fifteen rounds with

vived an agonizing battle with an ancient killing machine and the Muhammad Ali. But you know, it isn't so bad. We saved some

death of a star, and by rights it should have been naptime, but his lives today." He ran a hand through his short red hair, feeling

99